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THE    INSPIRATION 


BIBLE: 


FIVE  LECTURES, 


DELIVERED  IN  WESTMINSTER  ABBEY 


CHR.  WORDSWORTH,  D.D. 

CANON    OF    WESTMINSTER, 
VICAR    OF    STANFORD    IN    THE    VALE. 


LONDON: 

RIVINGTONS,  WATERLOO  PLACE. 
1801. 


**  IN  the  name  of  HOLY  SCRIPTURE  we  do  understand  those  Canonical 
Books  of  the  Old  and  New  Testament,  of  whose  authority  was  never 
any  doubt  in  the  Church." 

"All  the  Books  of  the  NEW  TESTAMENT,  as  they  are  commonly 
received,  we  do  receive  and  account  them  Canonical." 

From  the  Sixth  of  the  Thirty-nine  Articles  of  the 
United  Church  of  England  and  Ireland. 


THE  following  Lectures,  on  the  INSPIRATION  of 
the  BIBLE,  were  delivered  at  "Westminster  in  the 
months  of  February  and  March  of  the  present 
year.  They  are  entitled  Lectures  rather  than  Ser- 
mons, as  being  more  of  a  theological  and  historical 
than  of  an  expository  or  hortatory  character :  and  in 
preparing  them  the  Author  has  endeavoured  to  dis- 
charge, in  some  degree,  the  duty  of  an  office  assigned 
to  him  by  the  kindness  of  the  Dean  and  Chapter  of 
Westminster;  that  of  Theological  Lecturer  in  the 
Abbey  Church. 

If  health  and  strength  are  given  him,  he  pur- 
poses, with  the  divine  help,  to  deliver  a  similar 
course  of  Lectures,  "  On  the  INTERPRETATION  of  the 
BIBLE." 

Cloisters,  Westminster, 
Monday  before  Easter,  1861. 


LECTUEE  I.1 


1  PETER  iii.  15. 

Be  ready  always  to  give  an  answer  to  every  man  that  asketh  you  a 
reason  of  the  hope  that  is  in  you. 

I.  1.  THE  hope  that  is  in  us  as  Christians  rests  upon 
the  belief  that  the  Bible  is  the  Word  of  God.  The 
works  of  the  natural  Creation  declare  His  Power, 
but  they  do  not  reveal  to  us  the  Mysteries  of  Faith. 
Human  Reason  could  never  have  assured  us  that 
sinners  may  obtain  pardon  through  God's  mercy  in 
a  Redeemer,  and  that  we  may  acquire  spiritual 
grace,  enabling  us  to  do  His  Will.  We  could  never 
have  discovered  by  our  intellectual  faculties,  that 
there  is  a  Judgment  to  come,  and  a  Resurrection  of 
the  Body,  and  joys  eternal  in  heaven  for  those  who 
believe  and  obey  Him. 

These  are  supernatural  truths,  and  they  are  re- 
vealed to  us  in  the  Bible,  and  in  the  Bible  alone. 
And  by  faith  in  these  truths  we  are  excited  to  do  our 
duty  to  God,  our  neighbour,  and  ourselves:  we  are 

1  Preached  in  Westminster  Abbey,  at  the  Evening  Service,  Feb.  24. 

B 


2  Attacks  upon  the  Bible 

encouraged  to  suffer  patiently,  and  to  live  soberly, 
righteously,  and  godly  in  this  present  world,  looking  for 
that  blessed  hope,  and  the  glorious  appearing  of  the  great 
God  and  our  Saviour  Jesus  Christ*.  Therefore  the 
Apostle  St.  Paul  says,  Whatsoever  things  ivere  written 
aforetime  were  written  for  our  learning,  that  we  through 
patience  and  comfort  of  the  Scriptures  might  have 
hope 3. 

2.  Our  spiritual  Enemy  knows,  that  belief  in  the 
Inspiration  of  the  Bible  is  the  foundation  of  Christian 
Faith  and  of  Christian  Yirtue ;  and  that,  if  "  the  belief 
in  the  authority  of  Scripture  is  shaken,  then  Chris- 
tian Faith  will  falter,  and  if  Christian  Faith  falters, 
then  Christian  Charity  will  fail 4,"  and  that  the  fabric 
of  human  society  will  be  dissolved,  and  that  men  and 
nations  will  become  victims  of  his  power. 

The  Evil  One  has  therefore  been  indefatigable  in 
his  attempts  to  shake  this  foundation.  In  ancient 
days  he  enlisted  Kings  against  the  Bible.  He  in- 
cited Antiochus  Epiphanes  to  take  up  arms  against 
the  Old  Testament.  He  raised  up  the  Emperor  Dio- 
cletian against  the  New.  He  engaged  sceptical 
philosophers,  such  as  Celsus,  Porphyry,  and  Julian, 
in  an  intellectual  campaign  against  the  Word  of 
God.  He  beguiled  some,  who  called  themselves 

2  Titus  ii.  12,  13.  3  Rom.  xv.  4. 

4  S.  Augustine  de  Doct.  Christiana  i.  41,  "  Titubabit  fides,  si  divi- 
narum  Scripturarum  vacillat  auctoritas ;  porro,  Fide  titubante,  Charitas 
et  etiam  ipsa  languescit."  And  so  Hooker  (III.  viii.  13)  says,  "  The 
main  principle  whereupon  our  belief  of  all  things  therein  contained 
dependeth,  is  that  the  Scriptures  are  the  Oracles  of  God." 


in  Ancient  Times.  3 

Christians,  to  impugn  the  Bible.  The  Marcionites 
and  the  Manichaeans  alleged  that  the  Old  Testament 
is  contrary  to  the  New.  Other  heretical  Teachers 
rejected  portions  of  both  Testaments,  others  dis- 
torted their  meaning  by  novel  interpretations,  and 
substituted  their  own  imaginations  in  the  place  of 
the  Word  of  God. 

The  Church  of  God,  with  the  Bible  in  her  hands, 
regards  the  past  with  thankfulness,  and  looks  for- 
ward to  the  future  with  hope.  She  knows  that  the 
Holy  Scriptures  have  already  passed  through  a 
severe  ordeal;  and  she  is  sure,  that  their  Divine 
Author,  "Who  has  never  failed  to  protect  them,  will 
defend  them  unto  the  end.  She  is  persuaded,  that 
all  attacks  upon  the  Bible  will  issue  in  its  victory, 
and  will  manifest  more  clearly  that  it  is  the  Word  of 
God. 

As  the  end  of  the  world  approaches,  the  Bible 
may  expect  new  conflicts,  and  may  hope  for  new 
conquests.  Its  own  prophecies  will  be  fulfilled.  The 
Enemy  of  Holy  Scripture  will  rage  more  fiercely,  in 
proportion  as  his  doom  is  nearer.  He  will  make 
more  desperate  assaults  upon  Holy  Writ,  knowing 
that  he  hath  but  a  short  time 5. 

3.  The  present  age  bears  witness  to  this  truth. 
England  has  hitherto  stood  high  among  the  Nations 
of  Europe  and  the  World,  during  some  centuries, 
for  her  reverent  esteem  of  the  Bible.  But  now  a 

5  Rev.  xii.  12. 
B    2 


4  Attacks  on  the  Bible  in  the  present  Age. 

change  seems  to  be  taking  place.  Persons  eminent 
among  us  for  high  position  in  our  Schools  of  Learn- 
ing, and  exercising  great  influence,  by  their  repu- 
tation for  intellectual  gifts,  have  not  hesitated  to 
avow  an  opinion,  that  certain  portions  of  Holy  Scrip- 
ture were  not  written  by  those  whose  names  they 
bear,  and  that  sundry  parts  of  it  are  blemished  by 
error,  and  that  the  Bible  is  not  to  be  regarded  as 
distinct  from  other  Yolumes,  but  is  to  be  treated  as  a 
common  book 6. 

4.  Such  affirmations  as  these  require  us  to  examine 
the  grounds  of  our  own  belief  in  the  Inspiration  of 
Holy  Writ.  And  since  it  is  our  duty  to  promote  the 
temporal  and  eternal  happiness  of  others,  as  well  as 
our  own,  we  ought  to  be  prepared  to  give  an  answer 
to  every  one  who  asks  us  a  reason  of  the  hope  that  is 
in  ^ls. 

This  then  is  the  question  to  which  our  attention  is 
invited ; 

By  what  reasons  are  we  persuaded,  and  by  what 
arguments  would  we  seek  to  convince  others,  that 
the  Bible,  the  whole  Bible,  and  nothing  but  the 
Bible,  is  the  written  Word  of  God  ? 

May  the  Holy  Spirit  enlighten  the  eyes  of  our 
understandings,  and  enable  us  to  speak  the  truth; 
and  may  He  take  the  veil  from  the  hearts  of  those 
who  are  in  error,  and  bring  them  and  us  to  one  mind 
in  the  reverent  belief,  and  fervent  love,  of  God's  most 
holy  Word ! 

6  "Essays  and  Reviews,"  pp.  377.  404,  Lond.  6th  edit.  1861. 


Prefatory  remarks  on  Inspiration.  5 

II.  In  dealing  with  this  subject,  let  us  first  clearly 
understand,  what  we  mean  by  the  proposition,  that 
the  Scriptures  are  inspired  by  God. 

1.  We  do  not  intend  thereby  to  affirm,  that  the 
Writers  of  Holy  Scripture  were  constrained  to  write, 
without  any  volition  or  consciousness  on  their  part. 
David  singing  the  Psalms  was  not  like  the  Harp  in 
David's  hand.  He  was  a  free  agent,  it  was  a  mecha- 
nical instrument.  The  Holy  Ghost  inspired  the  writers 
of  Holy  Scripture.  Holy  men,  says  St.  Peter 7,  spake , 
being  moved  or  borne  along 8  by  the  Holy  Ghost.  All 
Scripture  is  given  by  inspiration  of  God,  says  St.  Paul9. 
It  is  animated  by  His  Divine  breath  *. 

But  while  He  inspired  the  Writers  of  Scripture, 
Almighty  God  did  not  impair  their  moral  and  intel- 
lectual faculties,  nor  destroy  their  personal  iden- 
tity. 

Inspiration  may  be  called  a  spiritual  Transfigura- 
tion. At  the  Transfiguration  of  Christ  on  the  Holy 
Mount,  as  described  in  the  Gospels,  Moses  and  Elias 
appeared  in  glory 2.  Moses  the  Giver  of  the  Law  was 
there,  and  Elias  the  greatest  of  the  Prophets.  They 
were  transfigured.  But  Moses  retained  his  identity ; 
so  did  Elias.  Moses  was  still  Moses,  and  Elias  was 

1  2  Pet.  i.  21. 

8  <}>ep6/j.*i'oi,  carried  along  like  a  ship  by  the  wind,  or  like  a  vessel 
on  a  stream.     In  this  text  the  Vatican  Manuscript  has  e'ActA.Tjo'aj'  anb 
®eov   &vdpG)irot,  i.  e.  men  spaJce  from  God :   and  this  reading  gives 
greater  force  to  the  assertion  of  their  Divine  Inspiration. 

9  2  Tim.  iii.  16.  l  Qe6irvevffros. 

2  Matt.  xvii.  2,  3.    Luke  ix.  30,  31.    Cf.  2  Pet.  i.  18. 

B    3 


6  Divine  and  Human  Elements  in  the  "Bible. 

still  Elias.  Each  was  recognized  by  the  Disciples, 
Peter,  James,  and  John. 

So  it  is  with*  the  writers  of  Holy  Scripture.  Moses, 
when  inspired,  was  raised  above  Moses  uninspired. 
St.  Peter,  St.  John,  and  St.  Paul,  when  writing  Holy 
Scripture,  are  lifted  above  themselves  by  the  power 
of  the  Holy  Ghost.  They  are  raised  above  their  own 
level,  and  that  of  this  lower  world,  and  are  placed  as 
it  were  on  a  "holy  mount."  They,  from  whose 
hands  we  have  received  the  Law,  the  Prophecies,  and 
the  Gospels,  are  joined  together  with  Christ  on  a 
Mountain  of  Transfiguration ;  they  are  illumined  by 
His  glorious  light,  and  the  cloud  of  His  presence 
overshadows  them;  each  of  them  retains  his  own 
personality,  each  shines  in  his  own  sphere ;  they  are 
spiritualized  and  glorified ;  they  are  transfigured. 

In  the  written  "Word  of  God  there  is  a  holy  union 
of  human  with  divine,  and  we  are  not  able  to  draw 
the  line,  where  what  is  human  ends,  and  what  is 
divine  begins. 

This  union  of  human  with  divine  in  the  Written 
Word,  bears  some  resemblance  to  the  greatest  Mys- 
tery of  our  faith,  the  union  of  Man  with  God  in  the 
INCARXATE  WORD.  The  Inspiration  of  Scripture 
may  be  compared  to  the  Incarnation  of  Christ. 
Jesus  Christ  is  Emmanuel,  God  with  its 3,  God  mani- 
fest in  the  flesh41.  The  two  natures  of  God  and 
Man  are  joined  together  in  His  one  Person.  But 

»  Matt.  i.  23.  «  ITim.  iii.  16. 


Inspiration  and  tlie  Incarnation.  7 

who  would  attempt  to  define  the  limits,  where  God's 
nature  ends,  and  where  Man's  nature  begins,  in  the 
Person  of  Christ  ?  The  union  of  God  and  Man  in 
the  Incarnate  Word  is  a  Mystery.  So  is  the  union 
of  the  Divine  element  with  the  human  in  the  Written 
Word.  It  is  a  Mystery.  In  both  cases  the  Mystery 
baffles  all  our  powers  of  analysis.  In  both  cases  the 
Mystery,  like  the  mid- day  sun  in  the  heavens,  dazzles 
the  eye  witli  its  brightness ;  we  cannot  gaze  upon  it. 
But,  in  both  cases  also,  the  Mystery,  like  the  sun  in 
the  heavens,  enables  us  to  see.  All  would  be  dark  in 
the  moral  and  spiritual  world,  without  the  Light  of 
the  Incarnate  Word,  and  of  the  Written  Word. 
And  in  both  cases  it  is  the  union  of  Divinity  with 
Humanity,  which  is  the  cause  of  spiritual  light  to  the 
World5. 

Perhaps  we  may  be  allowed  to  illustrate  this  part 
of  the  subject  by  another  comparison.  Scripture  is 
God's  Word  written.  The  things  written  are  from 
God,  and  the  Writing  of  them  is  from  Him;  all 
Scripture  is  given  by  Inspiration  of  God.  The  fresh 
and  living  Water  of  heavenly  Truth  issues  from  one 
Source,  and  that  Source  is  Divine.  But  the  water 
flows  in  various  streams.  The  Fountain  is  Divine,  the 
element  is  heavenly,  but  the  channels  are  earthly,  and 
the  channels  do  not  change  the  water,  but  they  modify 
its  direction  and  its  course.  The  heavenly  water  acts 
upon  the  earthly  banks  of  the  streams  ;  and  the  banks 

5  Some  sentences  are  repeated  here  from  the  Preface  to  the  Author's 
Edition  of  the  Greek  Testament,  p.  xviii.  Second  Edition,  1859. 

B    4 


8  The  Word  of  God 

act  upon  the  water;  they  act  and  react  upon  each 
other  with  a  simultaneous  and  concurrent  operation. 
Sometimes  the  Divine  element  of  Inspired  Truth 
rushes  vehemently  in  torrents  and  in  cataracts,  in 
the  impetuous  fervour  of  St.  Paul.  Sometimes  it 
diffuses  itself,  and  sleeps  in  calm  and  deep  lakes,  in 
the  love  and  gentleness  of  St.  John.  The  Element 
is  one  and  the  same,  and  Divine  ;  the  channels  are 
different,  and  human  ;  the  power  of  the  one  destroys 
not  the  liberty  of  the  other  ;  Divine  Grace  does  not 
annul  the  human  intellect  and  will,  though  it  is  sug- 
gestive, preventive,  suppletory,  auxiliary  to  it,  but 
the  Divine  Spirit,  and  the  human  Intellect  and  Will, 
concur  and  act  together  in  loving  harmony  and 


2.  We  affirm,  then,  that  there  is  a  human  element 
in  Holy  Scripture;  but  we  assert  also  that  this 
human  element  is  refined,  sublimed,  spiritualized, 
and  purified  from  all  taint  of  human  error,  in  the 
Word  of  God.  We  are  not  of  those  who  say,  that 
though  Holy  Scripture  is  inspired,  it  is  marred  and 
blemished  by  imperfections  and  inaccuracies.  We 
cannot  agree  with  some  who  assert,  that  the  holy 
Evangelist  St.  Matthew  errs  in  his  exposition  of  the 
Prophecies  recited  in  his  first  and  second  chapters, 
We  cannot  allow  that  St.  Matthew  and  St.  Luke 
are  at  variance  with  one  another  in  their  nar- 
ratives of  the  incidents  of  our  Lord's  infancy;  we 
cannot  concede  that  St.  Mark  errs  when  he  says 
that  David  ate  the  shewbread  in  the  days  of  Abiathar 


is  not  blemished  with  human  errors.  9 

the  High  Priest 6.  "We  cannot  admit,  that  St.  Luke 
errs,  in  saying  that  the  Taxing  at  the  Nativity  took 
place  in  the  time  of  Cyrenius 7.  We  cannot  grant, 
that  St.  John  errs,  when  he  says  that  the  Chief 
Priests  had  not  eaten  the  Passover  on  the  day  of  the 
Crucifixion 8.  "We  cannot  concede  that  either  he  g  or 
St.  Mark 1  errs  in  their  record  of  the  hour  on  which 
the  Crucifixion  took  place.  "We  know  well,  that  all 
these  allegations  may  be,  and  have  been  refuted. 
Having  carefully  examined  the  narratives  of  the  four 
Evangelists,  we  deliberately  affirm  our  conviction, 
that  while  there  are  sundry  varieties  serving  to  com- 
plete the  Evangelical  history,  there  is  no  contradic- 
tion in  it 2. 

Again ;  we  cannot  concur  with  those  who  say  that 
there  are  historical  mistakes  in  St.  Stephen's  speech 
to  the  Hebrew  Sanhedrim  3,  and  that  therefore  the 
Author  of  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles  errs  when  he  says 
that  St.  Stephen  was  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  that 
no  one  could  resist  the  wisdom  and  the  spirit  by  which  he 
spake  4.  We  cannot  agree  with  those  who  affirm  that 
St.  Paul  erred  when  writing  to  the  Thessalonians, 
and  speaking  to  them  by  the  Word  of  the  Lord5,  and 
"  entertained  and  expressed  a  belief  which  the  event 

Mark  ii.  26.  7  Luke  ii.  2. 

John  xviii.  18.  9  John  xix.  14. 

Mark  xv.  25. 

Cp.  Euseb.  Demonst.  Evang.  iii.  5,  and  S.  Augustine's  treatise  De 
Consensu  Evangelistarum. 

Acts  vii.  4  Acts  vi.  8—10. 

1  Thess.  iv.  15.     See  "  Essays  and  Reviews,"  p.  346. 

B    5 


10  Inferences  derived  by  Sceptics  from  the 

did  not  justify,"  namely,  that  the  Day  of  the  Lord 
would  come  while  he  himself  was  still  alive. 

We  are  sure  that  these  assertions,  however  confi- 
dently repeated,  can  never  be  proved. 

We  know  that  the  Doctrines  of  Scripture  are  based 
on  the  History,  and  if  the  History  is  false,  the  Doc- 
trines cannot  stand.  We  know  that  the  Bible  is  for 
all;  it  is  for  the  simplest  peasant  as  well  as  for  the 
wisest  philosopher,  it  is  able  to  make  all  men  wise 
unto  salvation 6. 

Not  only  are  the  Writers  of  Holy  Scripture  moved 
by  the  Holy  Ghost 7,  but  the  writing  itself,  every  part 
of  the  whole  writing,  is  described  by  St.  Paul  as  filled 
with  the  breath  of  God 8.  The  Book  is  inspired,  and 
therefore  the  Scriptures  are  called  living  oracles 9,  and 
are  represented  as  speaking*,  and  as  endued  with 
foreknowledge*.  The  Spirit  of  God  animates  them. 
They  are  saturated  and  bathed  with  the  Divine 
Light.  They  become  Light.  Thy  word  is  a  Lamp 
imto  my  feet,  and  a  Light  unto  my  paths  3. 

We  cannot  therefore  admit  that  the  Bible  is 
blemished  with  errors,  and  that  it  is  left  for  the 
reader  "to  separate  by  his  own  skill"  what  is 
erroneous  in  it  from  what  is  true.  We  know  that 
the  unbeliever  may  justly  challenge  those  who  make 


6  2  Tim.  Hi.  15.  7  2  Pet.  i.  21. 

8  iraa-a  ypa<f>))  8e6irvev<rros,  2  Tim.  iii.  16. 

9  Acts  vii.  38. 

1  Mark  xv.  28.   John  xix.  37.    Rom.  iv.  3  ;  ix.  17  ;  xi.  2.  Gal.  iv.  30. 

2  Gal.  iii.  8.  *  Pa.  cxix.  105. 


admission  that  there  are  Errors  in  the  Word  of  God.  11 

such  an  admission  as  that ;  and  that  he  may  fairly 
encounter  them  with  the  following  language*,  "A 
book  cannot  be  said  to  be  inspired,  or  to  carry  with 
it  the  authority  of  being  God's  Word,  if  only  portions 
come  from  Him,  and  there  exists  no  plain  and  in- 
fallible sign  to  indicate  which  those  portions  are  ;  and 
if  the  same  Writer  may  give  us  in  one  verse  of  the 
Bible  a  revelation  from  the  Most  High,  and  in  the 
next  verse  a  blunder  of  his  own.  How  can  we  be 
certain,  that  the  very  texts,  upon  which  we  rest  our 
doctrines  and  our  hopes,  are  not  the  uninspired  por- 
tion ?  What  can  be  the  meaning  or  nature  of  an  In- 
spiration to  teach  Truth,  which  does  not  guarantee 
its  recipient  from  teaching  error  ?  " 

3.  In  answer  to  such  questions  as  these,  we  affirm 
that  the  Bible  is  the  Word  of  God,  and  that  it  is  not 
marred  by  human  infirmities.  We  do  not  imagine 
with  some  that  the  Bible  is  like  a  Threshing-floor, 
on  which  wheat  and  chaff  lie  mingled  together,  and 


4  These  paragraphs  are  transcribed  from  a  Volume  recently  pub- 
lished by  a  sceptical  writer,  who  reasons  logically  on  the  theory  of  those 
who  say  that  the  Bible  is  inspired  and  yet  is  blemished  with  error :  and 
exposes  the  inconsistency  of  that  theory.  This  sceptical  writer,  com- 
menting on  the  admission  made  by  an  English  Theologian  that  St.  Paul 
"  entertained  a  belief  which  the  event  did  not  justify  "  when  he  was 
speaking  of  the  end  of  the  world  (1  Thess.  iv.  13 — 18),  observes  very  truly 
that  "  it  is  particularly  worthy  of  remark,  and  seems  to  have  been  un- 
accountably overlooked "  by  that  English  Theologian  "  throughout 
his  argument,  that  in  the  assertion  of  this  so-called  '  erroneous  belief, 
St.  Paul  expressly  declares  himself  to  be  speaking  by  the  Word  of  the 
Lord.' "  For  an  elucidation  of  that  text,  and  of  those  specified  above  in 
pp.  8,  9,  the  Author  of  these  Lectures  may  perhaps  be  allowed  to 
refer  to  the  notes  upon  them  in  his  edition  of  the  Greek  Testament. 

B    6 


1 2  Language  of  S.  Augustine  on  this  subject. 

that  it  is  left  for  the  reader  to  winnow  and  sift  the 
wheat  from  the  chaff  hy  the  fan  and  sieve  of  his  own 
mind.  "We  do  not  suppose  that  the  Bible  is  like  a 
rude  mass,  having  threads  and  spangles  of  precious 
metal,  intertwisted  and  encrusted  in  a  mineral  bed, 
and  that  it  is  left  for  the  reader  to  smelt  the  ore  from 
the  dross.  But  we  believe  the  Bible  to  be  pure  gold. 
Every  word  of  God  is  pure  ~°.  "We  adopt  the  language 
of  one  of  the  wisest  ancient  divines 6, — "  Such  is  the 
reverence  I  have  learnt  to  pay  to  the  Books  of  Holy 
Scripture,  and  to  those  Books  alone,  that  I  most 
firmly  believe  that  none  of  those  "Writers  has  ever 
fallen  into  any  error  in  writing-,  and  if  I  find  any 
thing  in  Scripture  which  seems  to  me  at  variance 
with  the  truth,  I  conclude  that  either  my  copy  of 
the  Bible  is  in  fault,  or  that  the  translator  has  missed 
the  sense,  or  that  I  have  not  rightly  understood  it 7." 
4.  They  who  acknowledge  that  the  Scriptures  are 
inspired  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  yet  assert  that  they 

5  Prov.  xxx.  5.     Cp.  Ps.  xii.  6  ;  cxix.  140. 

6  S.  Augustine,  Epist.  ad  Hieron.  82  ;  cp.  Irenceus  iii.  1 ,  and  iii.  5, 
where  he  speaks  of  the  Apostles  as  having  perfect  knowledge  (perfec- 
tam  agnitionem)  and  placed  beyond  the  reach  of  all  falsehood  '  extra 
omne  mendacium,'  and  so  Origen  (in  Matth.  torn.  xvi.  c.  12),  "  I  be- 
lieve that  not  a  jot  or  tittle  of  the  Gospels  is  without  divine  instruction ; 
and  that  the  Gospels  were  written  with  the  co-operation  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  and  that  they  who  wrote  them  never  fell  into  an  error."     See 
also  his  Comment  on  John  vi.  c.  18;  and  Homil.  in  Num.  xxvii.  1, 
where  he  says  that  in  Holy  Scripture  there  is  '  nihil  otiosum,'  and 
(Homil.  in  Jerem.  xxxix.),  "  there  is  nothing  in  Scripture  which  does 
not  do  its  own  proper  work,  if  men  know  how  to  use  it." 

7  See  also  Hookers  judgment  on  this  subject  in  his  Eccles.  Polity, 
II.  viii.  6. 


Holy  Scripture  not  blemished  with  Error.  13 

are  blemished  by  error,  may  be  desired  to  consider, 
that  if  the  Holy  Gfhost,  who  inspired  the  Scriptures, 
had  not  intended  to  preserve  their  writers  from  error, 
He  would  not  have  employed  such  persons  as  He  did 
in  writing  the  Scriptures.  He  would  not  have  chosen 
unlearned  and  ignorant  men  8,  but  the  wise  of  this 
world.  He  would  not  have  chosen  a  Galilaean 
fisherman,  a  hundred  years  old,  for  such  St.  John 
was,  to  write  the  record  of  the  sublimest  discourses 
of  Jesus  Christ.  And  if  that  Galileean  fisherman, 
and  his  brother  Evangelists,  being  such  as  they  were, 
had  not  been  preserved  from  error  by  the  Holy 
Ghost,  they  must  have  fallen  into  countless  palpable 
errors,  and  manifest  contradictions.  But  the  Holy 
Spirit  made  choice  of  such  feeble  instruments  with  a 
wise  design,  in  order  that  by  the  weakness  of  the 
instruments  used,  and  by  the  perfection  of  the  work 
done  by  their  means,  it  might  be  seen  and  acknow- 
ledged by  all,  that  the  excellency  of  the  Gospel 
written  by  their  hands  is  not  of  man,  but  of  God9. 

5.  But  while  we  thus  affirm,  that  the  genuine  text 
of  the  Bible  is  free  from  error,  we  do  not  mean  to 
assert  that  the  persons  employed  to  write  the  Bible, 
as  Moses,  the  Prophets,  and  Apostles,  were  not 
liable  to  err.  As  Writers  they  were  infallibly  guided 
in  writing,  and  were  preserved  from  error  by  the 
Spirit  of  Truth,  who  inspired  them,  but  they  were 

8  Acts  iv.  13. 

9  2  Cor.  iv.  7.     Cp.  Euseb.  Demonst.  Evang.  iii.  5.     Hist.  Eccl. 
iii.  24. 


14     As  men,  the  writers  of  Holy  Scripture  were  fallible 
in  practice  ; 

fallible  in  practice  as  men.  They  themselves  confess 
this.  We  are  men  of  like  passions  with  you1.  In 
many  things  we  offend  all3.  The  unerring  word  of 
Scripture  records  errors  of  the  men,  by  whose  instru- 
mentality Scripture  was  written.  Moses  spake  un- 
advisedly with  his  lips 3.  David  the  Psalmist  laments 
the  sins  of  David  the  King4.  St.  Luke  in  the  Acts 
relates  that  St.  Mark  faltered  for  a  season,  and  that 
St.  Paul  and  St.  Barnabas  strove  together  concerning 
him9.  St.  Paul  testifies  that  St.  Peter  walked  not 
uprightly6.  The  unerring  language  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  writing  by  St.  Paul  in  Holy  Scripture,  relates 
that  St.  Peter  erred.  We  believe  that  St.  Peter 
erred,  because  the  Holy  Spirit,  who  cannot  err, 
asserts  by  St.  Paul  in  Scripture  that  he  did  err  7. 
But  let  us  not  confound  the  Writers  with  the  men. 
Let  us  distinguish  the  Writings  from  the  practice  of 
those  by  whose  hands  they  were  written.  Men  they 
were,  and  being  men,  though  holy  men,  they  were 
liable  to  err.  But  the  Writings  which  God  the  Holy 
Ghost  dictated  by  their  instrumentality,  and  which 
have  been  received  as  Holy  Scripture  by  the  Chris- 
tian Church  Universal,  are  exempt  from  error.  And 
why  ?  Because  in  writing  they  had  the  gift  of  the 

1  Acts  xiv.  15.  3  James  iii.  2. 

3  Ps.  cvi.  33.  *  Ps.  li. 

5  Acts  xv.  37—39.  6  Gal.  ii.  11—14. 

7  This  topic  is  admirably  handled  by  S.  Augustine  in  his  corre- 
spondence with  S.  Jerome,  Epist.  xxviii.  xl.  and  Ixxxii.;  as  may  be 
seen  in  the  note  on  Gal.  ii.  11,  in  the  Author's  Edition ;  cp.  the  note 
at  the  end  of  that  chapter. 


But  as  Writers  of  Scripture  they  did  not  err  in  writing.  15 

Holy  Ghost  who  led  them  into  all  truth  8.  And  their 
words  were  not  such  as  man's  wisdom  teacheth,  but 
which  the  Holy  Ghost  teacheth9;  and,  as  St.  Peter 
says,  they  spake  being  moved  by  the  Holy  Ghost ';  and 
the  Holy  Ghost  is  the  Spirit  of  Truth 2,  and  every 
Scripture 3,  St.  Paul  declares,  is  given  by  inspira- 
tion of  God.  The  workmen  were  human,  but  the 
work  is  divine.  They  had  the  treasure  in  earthen 
vessels*,  but  the  treasure  itself  is  not  earthly,  but 
heavenly.  The  Channels,  through  which  the  water 
of  Holy  Scripture  flows,  are  like  the  Roman  aque- 
ducts of  brick  or  stone  stretching  across  the  Cam- 
pagna,  but  the  Water  itself,  which  flows  through 
them,  is  living  water  of  salvation,  streaming  forth 
from  the  heavenly  Hills,  even  from  the  pure  well- 
spring  of  the  Wisdom  and  Love  of  God. 

6.  Here  also  we  may  advert  to  those  who  allege  that 
the  language  of  the  Apostles  is  not  from  God,  because 
they  sometimes  speak  doubtingly.  Inspiration  is  not 
Omniscience.  The  Divine  Spirit  did  not  convert  the 
Apostles  into  Divine  beings.  His  aid  was  given  to 
the  Writers  of  Scripture  according  to  the  need. 
Sometimes  it  swelled  the  sails  of  their  minds  with  a 
vehement  gale ;  and  at  other  times,  when  the  oars  of 
human  toil,  and  the  pilotage  of  human  prudence, 
nearly  sufficed  for  the  purpose,  would  fan  them  only 


8  John  xvi.  13.  9  1  Cor.  ii.  13. 

1  2  Pet.  i.  21.  2  John  xiv.  17 ;  xv.  26. 

8  iracra  ypa^rj,  every  Scripture  (2  Tim.  iii.  16). 
*  2  Cor.  iv.  7. 


16       Why  the  Writers  of  Scripture  sometimes  speak 
doubtingly. 

with  a  gentle  breeze ;  sometimes  it  was  almost  lulled. 
He  allowed  the  Evangelists  to  speak  doubtingly  in 
Scripture  in  some  minor  matters,  where  doubt  was  not 
hurtful ;  such  as,  for  instance,  in  the  capacity  of  the 
vessels  of  Cana 5,  or  in  the  number  of  furlongs  which 
the  Apostles  had  rowed 6.  He  allowed  St.  Paul  to 
avow,  that  whether  he  was  in  the  body  or  out  of  the 
body,  when  he  was  caught  up  into  the  third  heaven, 
he  could  not  tell7 ;  and  to  say  that  he  knows  not  whe- 
ther he  baptized  any  besides  those  whom  he  men- 
tions 8 ;  and  He  permitted  him  to  express  doubts  con- 
cerning the  future 9.  He  inspired  them  to  inform  us 
of  their  doubts  in  these  cases,  in  order  that,  in  those 
other  more  momentous  and  mysterious  matters, 
wherein  they  express  no  doubt,  we  might  feel  sure 
that  they  speak,  not  from  themselves,  but  God. 

7.  Again.  Doubtless  there  is  a  perfect  language 
in  heaven.  But  we  may  not  allow  ourselves  to  forget, 
that  when  God  communicated  the  mysteries  of  Reve- 
lation to  the  world,  in  the  pages  of  Holy  Scripture, 
He  did  not  speak  in  the  tongues  of  Angels,  nor  did 
He  create  any  new  language,  but  He  used  a  language 
already  in  being,  a  language  formed  by  the  ordinary 
intercourse  of  man  with  man,  a  language  spoken  in 
senates  and  law-courts,  and  streets  and  market-places 


5  John  ii.  6. 

c  John  vi.  19.     Cp.  xi.  18.     Acts  iv.  4.     Luke  ix.  28. 
7  2  Cor.xii.  2.  »  1  Cor.  i.  16. 

9  Rom.  xv.  24.     1  Cor.  xvi.  5,  6.     2  Cor.  i.   15-17-     Phil.  ii.  19. 
1  Tim.  Hi.  14. 


Language  of  Scripture.  17 

of  the  world.  Writing  to  men,  He  used  the  language 
of  men.  The  medium  by  which  He  revealed  the 
mysteries  of  the  Gospel,  was  ancient  and  human,  but 
what  He  revealed  thereby  was  novel  and  Divine. 

It  is  with  Scripture  as  with  Christ's  Tribute- 
money  '.  The  metallic  ore,  of  which  that  money  was 
made,  was  from  God,  it  was  dug  up  in  the  mine ;  and 
Christ  by  His  miraculous  power  brought  up  the  sum 
paid,  from  the  depths  of  the  sea :  but  the  Coin  itself,  in 
which  the  sum  was  paid,  had  been  struck  in  Caesar's 
mint.  So  the  substance  of  Scripture  Doctrine  is  from 
God.  Its  mysteries  are  brought  up  from  the  abysses 
of  Divine  Wisdom.  And  the  words  in  which  it  is 
taught,  are  words  employed  by  God,  through  the 
ministry  of  Inspired  men.  But  the  language  of  which 
those  words  form  a  part,  was  framed  by  man ;  it  was 
struck  in  a  human  mint ;  and  like  every  thing 
human,  by  whomsoever  used,  that  language  was  not 
free  from  imperfection  ;  though  doubtless  the  words, 
when  used  by  men  under  the  guidance  of  God,  serve 
perfectly  all  the  purposes,  which  God,  in  using  them, 
intended  them  to  serve.  Almighty  God  did  not 
destroy  the  writers'  identity,  He  did  not  annul  their 
free-will,  but  He  used  the  writers  aright.  He  did 
not  create  a  new  language,  but  He  used  the  old  with 
Divine  Wisdom  and  Truth. 

8.  One  more  prefatory  observation  may  be  made 
here. 

1  Matt.  xvii.  24—27. 


18  Various  Headings  in  Scripture. 

It  is  sometimes  alleged,  that  since  the  collation  of 
the  different  Manuscripts  of  the  Old  and  New  Testa- 
ment has  brought  to  light  an  immense  multitude  of 
Various  Readings,  amounting  to  some  hundreds  of 
thousands,  therefore,  in  this  diversity  of  authorities, 
even  if  an  inspired  Text,  and  faultless  Original,  did 
exist  any  where,  it  would  be  impossible  for  us  to  find 
it  out. 

As  to  this  objection  from  the  multitude  of  Various 
Readings,  this  is  not  an  evidence  of  uncertainty  in 
the  Sacred  Text,  but  it  is  a  proof  of  its  certainty.  The 
words  of  the  original  Scripture  have  been  transcribed 
by  human  copyists,  and  though  it  may  be  allowed 
that  no  single  copy,  now  existing,  either  of  the  Old  or 
New  Testament  in  their  original  tongues,  exhibits 
precisely  verbatim  et  literatim  what  was  written 
by  the  Prophets  and  Apostles,  yet  it  is  certain  that, 
by  the  collation  of  the  copies  which  have  been  pre- 
served, we  have  the  Text  of  the  Holy  Scriptures  in 
such  a  form,  as  may  be  depended  on  for  all  that 
we  require,  and  that,  in  receiving  that  Text,  we 
receive  the  Oracles  of  God. 

For,  let  us  consider ;  Whence  does  this  multitude 
of  Various  Readings  arise  ?  From  the  multitude  of 
copies.  And  this  multitude  of  copies  is  the  very 
thing  which  secures  and  proves  the  integrity  of  the 
Text.  //  there  were  only  a  few  copies,  there  would 
be  few  Various  Readings  ;  and  if  there  was  only  one 
copy,  there  would  be  no  Various  Readings  at  all. 
But  then  we  should  only  have  one  witness  to  depend 


What  is  the  true  ground  for  belief  in  the  Inspiration   19 
of  the  BiUe? 

upon.  But  now  we  have  many  thousand  witnesses, 
and  since  these  witnesses  do  vary  in  some  very  slight, 
trivial,  and  insignificant  matters,  such  as  the  chance 
omission  of  a  word,  or  its  transposition,  or  in  a 
particle  or  conjunction,  we  see  that  there  is  no 
collusion,  no  conspiracy  among  the  witnesses.  And 
since  they  agree  in  all  substantial  respects,  we  are 
sure  that  what  they  witness  is  true ;  that  is,  that  the 
Text,  obtained  by  their  aid,  is  correct,  that  it  is  a 
faithful  representation  of  the  Words  dictated  to  the 
Prophets,  Apostles,  and  Evangelists,  by  the  Holy 
Spirit  of  God. 

III.  Let  us  now  proceed  to  suppose  that  an 
unbeliever  were  to  address  us,  and  ask  for  a  reason 
of  the  hope  that  is  in  us,  when  we  assert  our 
belief  that  the  Bible  is  the  Word  of  God.  What 
answer  should  we  give  to  that  question  ? 

If  that  belief  is  sound,  there  must  be  a  reason  for 
it.  And  since  the  Bible  is  for  all,  and  all  are  bound 
to  believe  its  doctrines  and  obey  its  precepts,  it  is 
clear  that  the  answer  to  be  given  to  this  question 
ought  to  be  of  such  a  kind,  that  all,  however  un- 
learned, may  be  able  to  give  it,  and  that  all  to  whom 
it  is  given  ought  to  be  satisfied  with  it. 

Suppose  therefore  that  an  unbeliever  were  to  ask 
you  this  question,  On  what  grounds  do  you  believe 
the  Bible,  the  whole  Bible,  and  nothing  but  the 
Bible,  to  be  the  written  Word  of  God  ? 

1.  Some  persons  have  said,  in  reply  to  this  in- 


20    Erroneous  ground  upon  which  some  build  their  belief 

quiry,  that  they  themselves  have  an  inward  spiritual 
illumination,  by  which  they  are  enabled  to  discern 
the  Bible  to  be  God's  Word.  The  Spirit  in  their 
hearts,  they  affirm,  bears  witness  to  the  Spirit  in  the 
Bible,  and  assures  them  that  it  is  His  "Word. 

But  is  this  answer  adequate  ?     Is  it  satisfactory  ? 

Doubtless  every  devout  person  will  feel,  in  reading 
the  Bible,  that  he  is  reading  no  common  book ;  he 
will  feel  his  heart  burn  within  him  with  holy  love 
and  joy,  when  he  listens  to  its  words,  and  when  he 
observes  also  the  harmony  of  the  various  parts  of  the 
Bible,  and  its  adaptation  to  the  needs  of  our  nature, 
and  the  fulfilment  of  its  prophecies ;  and  when  he 
reflects  on  the  moral  and  social  benefits  conferred  by 
the  Bible  on  the  world ;  and  when  he  meditates  on 
the  wonderful  dispensations  of  God's  providence  in 
protecting  and  preserving  the  Bible2.  Every  one 
who  is  really  enlightened  with  divine  grace  will  feel 
a  strong  persuasion  that  it  is  the  Word  of  God. 

2.  But  such  considerations  as  these,  important  as 
they  are,  would  not  suffice  to  convince  an  unbeliever 
that  the  ivhole  Bible  is  the  Word  of  God.  We  need 
some  other  aid ;  and  as  for  the  appeal  to  our  own 
individual  consciousness,  can  it  truly  be  said  by  any 
man,  that,  if  portions  of  the  Bible  were  interspersed 
with  portions  of  an  uninspired  book, — such  as  the 
Book  of  Ecclcsiasticus  or  of  Wisdom, — and  if,  being 
thus  blended  together,  they  were  placed  before  him, 

2  See  below,  Lecture  V.  pp.  102—1 14. 


in  the  Inspiration  of  the  Bible.  21 

he  could,  by  his  own  internal  consciousness,  discern 
and  separate  at  once  what  is  inspired  from  what  is 
uninspired 3  ? 

We  cannot  admit  this. 


8  Hooker  says  well  on  this  point  (Eccl.  Pol.  III.  viii.  15) :— "  I  doubt 
not  but  men  of  wisdom  and  judgment  will  grant,  that  the  Church,  in 
this  point  especially  (the  Inspiration  of  Holy  Scripture)  is  furnished 
with  reason,  to  stop  the  mouths  of  her  impious  adversaries ;  and  that 
as  it  were  altogether  bootless  to  allege  against  them  what  the  Spirit 
hath  taught  us,  so  likewise  that  even  to  our  own  selves  it  needeth 
caution  and  explication  how  the  testimony  of  the  Spirit  may  be  dis- 
cerned, by  what  means  it  may  be  known  ;  lest  men  think  that  the 
Spirit  of  God  doth  testify  those  things  which  the  spirit  of  error  sug- 
gesteth.  The  operations  of  the  Spirit,  especially  these  ordinary  which 
be  common  to  all  true  Christian  men,  are,  as  we  know,  things  secret 
and  undiscernible  even  to  the  very  soul  where  they  are,  because  their 
nature  is  of  another  and  an  higher  kind  than  that  they  can  be  by  us 
perceived  in  this  life.  Wherefore  albeit  the  Spirit  lead  us  into  all 
truth  and  direct  us  in  all  goodness,  yet  because  these  workings  of  the 
Spirit  in  us  are  so  privy  and  secret,  we  therefore  stand  on  a  plainer 
ground,  when  we  gather  by  reason  from  the  quality  of  things  believed 
or  done,  that  the  Spirit  of  God  hath  directed  us  in  both,  than  if  we 
settle  ourselves  to  believe  or  to  do  any  certain  particular  thing,  as  being 
moved  thereto  by  the  Spirit." 

And  Bishop  Burnet  (on  the  Vlth  Article)  judiciously  observes ;  In 
proof  of  the  Inspiration  of  Holy  Scripture,  "  I  will  not  urge  that  of 
the  testimony  of  the  Spirit,  which  many  have  had  recourse  to  :  this  is 
only  an  argument  to  him  that  feels  it,  if  it  is  one  at  all ;  and  therefore 
it  proves  nothing  to  another  person  ;  besides,  the  utmost  that  with 
reason  can  be  made  of  this  is,  that  a  good  man,  feeling  the  very  power- 
ful effects  of  the  Christian  religion  on  his  own  heart,  in  the  reforming 
his  nature,  and  the  calming  his  conscience,  together  with  those  com- 
forts that  arise  out  of  it,  is  convinced  in  general  of  the  whole  of  Chris- 
tianity, by  the  happy  effects  that  it  has  upon  his  own  mind;  but  it 
does  not  from  this  appear,  how  he  should  know  that  such  books  and 
euch  passages  in  them  should  come  from  a  Divine  original,  or  that  he 
should  be  able  to  distinguish  what  is  genuine  in  them  from  what  is 
spurious." 


22     Private  Consciousness  no  safe  ground  for  leliefin 


We  do  well  to  believe  the  Inspiration  of  the  Bible. 
But  let  those  who  would  build  their  belief  upon 
their  own  feelings,  in  this  momentous  matter,  be 
affectionately  entreated  to  consider,  whether  they  may 
not  haply  be  building  on  the  sand.  We  need  solid 
arguments  to  persuade  others.  We  need  strong  rea- 
sons to  convince  the  unbeliever  that  the  ivhole  Bible  is 
the  Word  of  God :  he  will  not  be  satisfied  with  asser- 
tions, he  will  require  proofs.  Our  perceptions  are 
no  rule  for  him.  He  will  not  ask  for  emotions,  but 
evidences;  he  will  require,  not  feelings,  but  facts. 
He  may  say  to  us,  "  You  feel  that  the  Bible  is  in- 
spired, but  /  have  no  such  feeling ;  and  why  should 
I  rather  be  guided  by  your  feelings  in  receiving  the 
Bible,  than  you  be  swayed  by  my  feelings  in  rejecting 
it  ?  Besides,  if  I  am  to  be  influenced  by  men's 
sentiments,  I  should  have  as  many  different  Bibles 
as  there  are  different  Religions.  The  Brahmin  feels 
that  a  divine  spirit  speaks  to  him  in  the  Yedas ;  the 
Mahometan  hears  a  divine  voice  in  the  Koran ;  the 
Jew  recognizes  a  divine  presence  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, but  denies  its  existence  in  the  New.  And 
even  among  Christians  some4  receive  the  Apocry- 
phal Books,  such  as  the  Books  of  Judith  and  Tobit, 
as  divinely  inspired,  while  others  do  not  own  them 
as  such5.  If  personal  feelings  and  opinions,  apart 
from  logical  proofs,  are  to  determine  the  matter, 

4  The  Church  of  Rome.     Concil.  Trident.  Sess.  iv. 

5  The  Church  of  England,  Art.  VI. 


Origin  and  disastrous  results  of  that  Theory.        23 

every  form  of  Religion  may  have  a  separate  Bible  of 
its  own,  and  there  can  be  no  common  standard,  no 
uniform  Rule  of  Faith  and  Practice  for  all." 

3.  Consider,  also,  to  what  disastrous  results  this 
reference  to  private  feelings  and  opinions  in  the 
solemn  question  of  Inspiration,  has  already  led. 

That  theory  was  first  put  forth  at  the  Reformation 
in  the  sixteenth  century  by  some  pious  men,  to 
whom  the  world  owed  much.  For  example,  to  cite 
one  of  the  greatest  names  of  that  time — Martin 
Luther  said  that  he  could  not  reconcile  the  doctrine 
of  St.  James  with  that  of  St.  Paul,  on  the  subject  of 
Justification,  and  that  therefore)  inasmuch  as  he  ac- 
cepted the  doctrine  of  St.  Paul,  he  must  reject  the 
Epistle  of  St.  James.  In  a  similar  temper  he  rejected 
the  Book  of  Revelation  of  St.  John  the  Divine.  He 
did  not  feel  their  Inspiration ;  they  were  not  con- 
genial to  his  own  opinions ;  they  did  not  approve 
themselves  to  his  mind.  The  Apostle  St.  Paul  was 
inspired,  because  Martin  Luther  felt  his  inspiration. 
But  the  Apostles  St.  James  and  St.  John  were  to 
wait,  till  the  feelings  of  Martin  Luther  should  change, 
for  an  allowance  of  their  Inspiration.  There  is  rea- 
son to  believe  that  Luther  lived  long  enough  to  rue 
this  rash  and  reckless  presumption 6.  But  this  ex- 
ample of  arbitrary  wilfulness,  in  dealing  with  Holy 
Scripture,  did  great  mischief.  Other  Reformers, 
and  even  entire  Reformed  Churches  7, — happily  not 

6  See  Gerhard!  Loci  Theol.  Appendix  de  Scr.  Sacra,  §  279  and  §  299. 

7  Confessio  Belgica  v.  Confessio  Gallicana  iv. 


24  Calamitous  consequences  of  that  Theory. 

the  Church  of  England 8, — grounded  their  recognition 
of  Holy  Scripture,  and  their  belief  in  its  Inspiration, 
upon  what  they  called  the  internal  witness  of  the 
Spirit  in  themselves.  They  resolved  their  belief 
into  a  mere  private  intuition,  and  personal  assurance 
in  their  own  hearts.  They  made  themselves  the 
judges  of  God's  "Word. 

Here  is  the  root  of  the  evil  which  has  now  grown 
up  into  a  great  tree  and  overshadows  Europe  with 
darkness,  and  blights  the  vegetation  beneath  it,  and 
yields  deadly  fruit.  This  internal  Consciousness  could 
only  be  an  argument  to  the  man  who  felt  it,  but 
could  afford  no  conviction  to  others.  They  who 
rested  their  belief  in  the  Bible  on  such  a  basis  as 
that,  could  not  defend  the  Bible  against  those  who 
assailed  it.  Their  belief  in  the  Bible  was  true,  but 
it  rested  on  false  grounds.  It  was  built  on  the  shift- 
ing quicksand  of  private  opinion.  As  long  as  that 
inner  Consciousness  led  them  to  acknowledge  the 
Truth  and  Inspiration  of  the  Bible,  so  long  the  un- 
soundness  of  their  foundation  did  not  manifestly 
appear.  For  some  time  they  went  on  appealing  to 
their  own  Consciousness,  acknowledging  the  truth  and 
divine  origin  of  the  Bible.  But  they  were  dwelling 
all  the  while  in  a  tottering  house ;  and  ere  long 
the  storm  came,  and  the  house  fell.  Persons  arose 
among  them,  who  appealed  to  their  own  Conscious- 
ness, as  a  sufficient  reason  for  rejecting  the  Bible. 

8  See  below,  Lecture  IV.  p.  90. 


Sceptical  development  of  the  Theory  of  private       25 
consciousness. 

And  they  who  had  received  the  Bible  on  the  assur- 
ance of  their  own  supposed  inner  illumination,  had 
no  reply  to  offer  to  those  who  rejected  it  on  similar 
grounds.  The  inner  Consciousness  of  the  one  party 
was  set  in  hostile  array  against  the  inner  Conscious- 
ness of  the  other  party.  But  who  could  arbitrate 
between  them  ? 

4.  Thus  in  looking  back  to  the  history  of  Christen- 
dom, we  see  that  the  erroneous  principle  which  was 
adopted  by  some  pious  men,  in  support  of  the  Bible, 
three  centuries  ago,  has  now  been  applied  by  others 
to  destroy  the  Bible.  That  erroneous  principle  has 
afforded  a  triumph  to  Infidelity. 

The  recently  published  volume,  entitled  "Essays 
and  Reviews,"  which  has  startled  and  shocked  the 
religious  mind  of  the  English  Public,  is  only  a  na- 
tural fruit  of  the  waywardness  of  private  opinion  de- 
veloped in  a  sceptical  direction.  It  has  brought 
openly  to  the  surface  what  has  long  been  lurking 
beneath  it ;  and  if  we  are  not  wanting  to  ourselves, 
great  good  may  be  the  result.  The  evil  is  now  mani- 
fest. It  displays  itself  in  the  light  of  day. 

Belying  on  what  they  call  "  the  verifying  faculty  " 
in  their  own  minds,  some  impugn  the  veracity  and 
genuineness  of  the  Pentateuch,  because  they  think 
that  its  records  are  inconsistent  with  the  results  of 
scientific  research,  or  because  they  suppose  its  lan- 
guage to  be  posterior  to  the  age  of  Moses.  Some 
reject  the  Book  of  Daniel,  because  they  imagine  that 
its  Prophecies  were  subsequent  to  the  events  which 

c 


26  Injurious  effects  of  that  Theory  on  the  moral  influence 
of  the  Bible, 

it  professes  to  predict.  Some  will  not  receive  the 
second  Epistle  of  St.  Peter,  because  the  style  of  that 
Epistle  differs  from  the  First,  and  because  they  think 
that  both  those  Epistles  could  not  have  been  written 
by  the  same  Author 9.  In  short  there  is  scarcely  a 
single  book  in  the  Bible,  which  has  not  now  been 
called  into  question  by  men  who  are  swayed  by 
their  own  feelings,  and  biassed  by  their  own  private 
opinions.  "  The  nature  of  the  Inspiration  of  Scrip- 
ture," they  say,  "  can  only  be  shown  from  the  exa- 
mination of  Scripture  ',"  and  whatever  they  find  in 
the  Bible  congenial  to  themselves,  whatever  harmo- 
nizes with  their  own  sentiments,  that  they  believe  to 
be  inspired,  and  that  alone.  Thus  the  divinity  of 
the  Bible  is  made  to  depend  on  the  fickleness  of 
human  caprice  ;  and  "  unless  God  pleases  man,  He  is 
to  be  no  longer  God 2." 

5.  The  Genuineness  and  Inspiration  of  the  Bible 

9  Evidence  of  the  truth  of  what  is  stated  above,  and  much  more  to 
the  same  effect,  may  be  seen  in  the  Works  of  two  German  Writers, 
Havernick's  Einleitung  in  das  Alte  Testament,  1836—1849,  and 
Guerike's  Einleitung  in  das  N.  T.,  1843.  See  also  the  valuable  sum- 
mary in  the  History  of  German  Protestantism,  pp.  100 — 134,  by  the 
Rev.  E.  H.  Dewar,  M.A.,  British  Chaplain  at  Hamburgh,  1848.  And 
before  that  time,  the  voice  of  warning  had  been  raised  by  the  late 
revered  and  beloved  Hugh  James  Rose,  in  his  Sermons  preached  before 
the  University  of  Cambridge  in  1824,  and  in  the  Appendix  to  them  in 
1828,  and  in  his  letter  to  the  Bishop  of  London,  1829. 

1  "  Essays  and  Reviews,"  p.  347-     And  again,  "  To   the  question, 
'  What  is  inspiration  ? '  the  first  answer  is,  '  The  idea  which  we  gather 
from  the  study  of  it.'     This  is  reconcileable  with  variations  in  fact  in 
the   Gospels  .  .  .  with  inaccuracies  of  language  in  the  Epistles   of 
St.  Paul." 

2  Tertullian,  Apol.  c.  5.   Nisi  homini  Deus  placuerit,  Deus  non  erit. 


and  on  its  right  Interpretation.  27 

as  a  whole  being  thus  made  matter  of  doubt,  the 
Bible  itself  is  to  be  no  longer  the  standard  of  Faith 
and  Practice,  but  the  varying  consciousness  of  the 
individual  is  to  be  substituted  in  the  place  of  Grod's 
holy  Word. 

6.  Nor  can  there  be  any  uniform  standard  of  In- 
terpretation, upon  such  principles  as  these.  The  Bible 
becomes  like  a  rule  of  lead,  which  men  may  bend 
and  twist  aside  according  to  their  own  will 3.  And 
thus  they  fall  under  St.  Peter's  censure,  who  says 
that  they  that  are  unlearned  and  unstable  wrest  the 
Scriptures  to  their  own  destruction 4. 

IY.  This  condition  of  things  is  fraught  with 
solemn  warning  and  instruction.  It  teaches  us  that 
it  is  not  enough  to  believe  the  truth,  but  that  it  is 
necessary  to  believe  it  on  right  grounds.  If  Belief  is 
made  to  rest  on  a  wrong  foundation,  it  must  give 
rise  to  Unbelief.  It  is  not  enough  to  believe  that 
the  Bible,  the  whole  Bible,  is  God's  written  Word, 
but  it  is  necessary  to  be  able  to  convince  others  that 
this  proposition  is  true.  It  is  necessary  to  be  always 
ready  to  give  to  every  man  that  asketh  us  a  reason  of  the 
hope  that  is  m  us. 

Let  us  examine  ourselves,  whether  we  are  able  to 
do  this.  Let  those  who  have  hitherto  built  their 

3  Or,  in  the  language  of  the  poet  Dryden, 

"  Their  airy  faith  will  no  foundation  find  ; 
The  Word's  a  weathercock  to  every  wind." 

4  2  Pet.  iii.  16. 

C   2 


28  Religious  crisis  for  England. 

belief  on  the  unsound  basis  of  private  feelings  and 
private  opinions,  be  earnestly  entreated  to  contem- 
plate the  gigantic  superstructure* of  error,  which  has 
now  risen  up  in  Europe  upon  that  unsound  basis. 
Let  them  be  desired  with  words  of  tenderness  and 
love, — to  reconsider  and  revise  their  principles.  The 
prevalence  of  Infidelity  among  us,  the  avowal  of 
strange  doctrines  concerning  the  Inspiration  of  the 
Bible,  which  is  the  groundwork  of  all  our  hopes, 
imperatively  demand  this  at  their  hands. 

England  is  now  on  her  trial.  Now  is  the  crisis  of 
her  religious  life.  If  she  has  strength  to  eject  the 
poison  which  has  been  infused  into  her,  she  may 
become  more  vigorous  and  healthy  than  before.  But 
if  not,  then  that  poison  will  curdle  in  her  veins,  and 
her  whole  system  will  be  diseased,  and  a  moral  mor- 
tification will  ensue ;  and  England  will  be  in  a  few 
years,  what  some  other  Nations  of  Europe  now  are. 

Let  us,  my  beloved  brethren,  consider  calmly  the 
signs  of  the  times;  let  us  endeavour  earnestly,  by 
God's  grace,  to  understand  and  maintain  the  truth  ; 
let  us  charitably  and  wisely  labour  to  overcome  evil 
with  good.  Then  we  may  be  sure,  that  the  dangers, 
by  which  the  Faith  is  now  assailed,  will  prove  means 
and  occasions  of  new  victories.  Our  difficulties  are 
our  opportunities.  Our  midnight  is  God's  noon. 
Our  trials  may  be  our  triumphs.  They  may  con- 
duce to  heal  our  unhappy  differences  and  dissensions, 
and  to  unite  us  all  in  the  truth. 

If  the  Bible  is  the  unerring  word  of  the  Ever- 


Hopes  for  the  future.  29 

living  God ;  if,  as  we  believe  it  is,  it  is  the  Universal 
Rule  of  Faith  and  Practice ;  if  it  is  the  Charter  of 
our  social  and  national  privileges  upon  earth,  and  of 
our  everlasting  citizenship  in  heaven;  if  it  is  the 
Code,  by  which  we  shall  be  judged  at  the  Great 
Day ;  then  we  may  be  sure,  that  all  attacks  upon  it 
will  one  day  recoil  upon  those  who  make  them, 
like  the  foam  and  spray  dashed  from  the  firm- set 
rock.  The  violence  of  the  storm  will  prove  the 
strength  of  the  fortress,  and  will  confirm  our  belief 
in  its  impregnability,  and  in  the  faithfulness  and 
power  of  Him,  whose  Divine  Eye  is  ever  upon  it, 
and  who  shields  it  with  the  defence  of  His  own  Al- 
mighty protection.  And  thus,  though  the  sea  around 
us  is  tempestuous,  and  though  the  waters  thereof  rage 
and  swell,  yet  in  His  own  appointed  time  the  rivers  of 
the  flood  thereof  will  make  glad  the  city  of  God 3. 

With  fervent  hopes  and  earnest  prayers  for  that 
blessed  and  glorious  result,  these  introductory  obser- 
vations have  been  submitted  to  you  on  this  subject ; 
and  it  has  been  my  endeavour  to  examine  the  prin- 
ciples which  have  been  adopted  by  some,  whose  zeal 
for  God's  holy  Word  cannot  be  questioned,  and  to 
test  the  soundness  of  those  principles  by  their  re- 
sults. 

Time  does  not  now  allow  us  to  consider  on  the 
present  occasion,  what  is  the  true  foundation  on  which 

5  Ps.  xlvi.  2,  3. 

c  3 


30       Subject  proposed  for  the  following  Discourses. 

the  belief  of  the  Inspiration  of  Holy  Scripture  is  to 
be  built ;  and  what  are  the  reasons  by  which  we  may 
hope  to  convince  others,  who  do  not  now  believe, 
that  the  Bible,  the  whole  Bible,  and  nothing  but 
the  Bible,  is  the  written  Word  of  God. 

This  task  will  be  undertaken  in  the  Discourses 
that  will  be  delivered  in  this  Church  on  the  Sunday 
Afternoons  of  the  ensuing  month.  Brethren,  let  me 
entreat  your  prayers  for  God's  help  in  this  work, 
for  His  honour  and  glory,  through  Jesus  Christ  our 
Lord. 


LECTURE  II. 


ROMANS  iii.  1,  2. 

What  advantage  then  hath  the  Jew  ?    Much  every  way  :  chiefly,  le- 
cause  that  unto  them  were  committed  the  Oracles  of  God. 

I.  1.  IN  last  Sunday's  discourse  we  entered  on  the 
inquiry ; 

By  what  reasons  are  we  persuaded,  and  by  what 
arguments  would  we  persuade  others,  that  the  Bible, 
the  whole  Bible,  and  nothing  but  the  Bible,  is  the 
written  Word  of  God  ? 

It  was  then  observed,  that  some  pious  persons  have 
replied  to  this  question  by  saying,  that  they  them- 
selves have  an  inward  illumination,  by  which  they 
are  enabled  to  distinguish  the  Bible  from  all  other 
books ;  and  they  rest  their  belief  in  the  Inspiration 
of  the  Bible  upon  this  private  assurance. 

But,  as  was  then  remarked,  this  assurance  on  their 
part  cannot  exercise  any  influence  on  others.  Our 
belief  in  the  Inspiration  of  the  Bible  cannot  induce 
the  unbeliever  to  receive  it  as  God's  "Word. 

c  4 


32  Recapitulation. 

It  has  also  been  already  shown,  that  this  appeal 
to  private  feelings  and  opinions,  as  the  groundwork 
of  belief  in  the  Bible,  has  led  to  unhappy  results.  If 
we  refer  to  our  own  feelings  and  opinions  as  an  ade- 
quate proof  of  its  Inspiration,  we  must  not  be  sur- 
prised to  find  that  other  persons  refer  to  their  feel- 
ings and  opinions,  in  disproof  of  it.  When  men 
make  themselves  to  be  the  measures  of  truth,  they 
are  in  great  danger  of  losing  the  truth.  They  soon 
become  entangled  in  a  labyrinth  of  contradictions, 
and  instead  of  strengthening  the  foundation  of  the 
Bible,  they  are  like  the  builders  of  Babel,  distracted 
with  the  strife  of  tongues. 

2.  It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  add,  that  we  cannot 
prove  from  Scripture  itself,  that  Scripture  is  God's 
Word.  The  Holy  Spirit  says  by  St.  Paul,  that  all 
Scripture  is  given  by  inspiration  of  God1.  But  it 
must  first  be  proved  by  some  arguments  external  to 
Scripture,  as  well  as  by  internal  evidence,  derivable 
from  Scripture,  that  St.  Paul  himself,  when  he  wrote 
these  words,  wrote  under  the  inspiration  of  God3. 

1  2  Tim.  iii.  16. 

2  See  Hooker,  I.  xiv.  1.     "Of  things  necessary,  the  very  chiefest  is 
to  know  what  books  we  are  bound  to  esteem  holy ;  which  point  is  con- 
fessed impossible  for  Scripture  itself  to  teach."  And  again,  II.  iv.  2,  "  It 
is  not  the  Word  of  God  which  doth,  or  possibly  can  assure  us  that  we 
do  well  to  think  that  is  His  Word ;  for  if  any  one  Book  of  Scripture 
did  give  testimony  to  all,  yet  still  that  Scripture  would  require  another 
to  give  credit  to  it ;  nor  could  we  ever  come  to  any  pause  to  rest  our 
assurance  this  way,  so  that  unless  beside  Scripture  there  were  some- 
thing that  might  assure  us  that  we  do  well,  we  could  not  think  we  do 
well,  no  not  in  being  assured  that  Scripture  is  a  sacred  and  holy  rule  of 
well-doing." 


What  are  tlie  true  grounds  for  belief  in  the         33 
Inspiration  of  the  Old  Testament  ? 

II.  Let  us  now  proceed  to  examine,  what  the  true 
answer  to  the  inquiry  is  ? 

Let  us  begin  with  the  OLD  TESTAMENT.  On  what 
grounds  are  we  convinced,  and  by  what  proofs  would 
we  endeavour  to  persuade  others,  that  the  whole  of 
the  Old  Testament  is  the  Word  of  God  ? 

1.  First,  we  would  reply,  we  receive  the  Old  Tes- 
tament as  inspired,  on   the  testimony  of  God,  de- 
clared  in   the   consent  and  practice  of  the  Jewish 
Nation,  to  which,  as  the  Apostle  says,  were  delivered 3 
the  Oracles  of  God.     St.  Paul  here  •  affirms  that  the 
Ancient  Jewish  Church  was  the  divinely  constituted 
Recipient  and  Guardian  of  the  Old  Testament.     Its 
testimony  on  this  matter  is  the  testimony  of  God. 

2.  Secondly,  we   receive   the   Old   Testament  as 
inspired  on  the  Testimony  of  the  Son  of  God  Him- 
self, our  Blessed  Lord  and  Saviour  JESUS  CHRIST. 

First,  then,  we  receive  the  Old  Testament  as  in- 
spired, on  the  testimony  of  God  declared  by  the 
Jewish  Nation. 

III.  Here  we  must  begin  by  showing  that  the  Old 
Testament,  as  it  now  exists  in  our  age,  is  the  same  as 
the  Old  Testament  in  the  first  century  of  the  Chris- 
tian era:   in  other   words,   we  must  prove  its  In- 
tegrity. 

*  St.  Paul's  words  are  eTncrTeve-rjffav  ret  \6yia  :  a  stronger  phrase 
than  that  in  our  English  Version.  "  They  were  entrusted  with  the 
oracles  of  God."  They  were  the  Trustees  and  Guardians  of  the  Old 
Testament ;  and  St.  Paul  would  not  have  used  this  expression,  if  they 
had  been  unfaithful  to  that  sacred  trust. 

o  5 


34  Integrity  of  the  Text 

This  may  be  demonstrated  from  the  fact,  that  the 
Old  Testament  has  been  publicly  read  both  in  Jewish 
Synagogues 4,  and  in  Christian  Churches 5,  throughout 
the  world,  every  week,  from  the  first  century  to  the 
present  day. 

The  multiplication  of  copies  of  the  Old  Testament, 
for  the  purposes  of  this  weekly  public  Reading  in 
the  Jewish  Synagogues  on  the  Jewish  Sabbath,  and 
in  Christian  Churches  on  the  Lord's  Day,  and  this 
public  Reading  itself,  have  served  as  providential 
guarantees  for  the  preservation  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment. 

Even  if  any  of  the  Jews  had  ever  desired  to  tamper 
with  the  Text  of  the  Old  Testament,  they  would  have 
been  prevented  from  effecting  such  a  purpose  by  the 
diffusion  of  Copies  of  the  Old  Testament  in  all  parts 
of  the  world 6.  Even  if  all  the  Jewish  Synagogues 
had  conspired  together  to  alter  the  Text  of  the  Old 
Testament,  which  is  a  thing  incredible,  they  would 
have  been  hindered  and  checked  from  doing  so  by 
the  counteracting  vigilance  of  Christian  Churches, 
guarding  the  Old  Testament,  and  publicly  reading 
the  Old  Testament  in  all  parts  of  the  civilized  world. 

And  if,  on  the  other  side,  any  Christian  Churches 

4  See  on  Acts  xiii.  15 ;  xv.  21.     Josephus  c.  Apion.  ii.  p.  107-,  and 
the  authorities  in  Vitringa's  treatise  De  Synagoga  Vetere,  lib.  iii.  pt. 
2,  c.  8,  p.  961,  ed.  Franck.  1696. 

5  See    the    authorities    in    Bingham's  Antiquities,   book   xiv.   ch. 
iii. 

6  See  S.  Augustine's  observation  on  this  point,  de  Civitate  Dei,  xv. 
c.  13. 


of  the  Old  Testament,  how  secured,  and  proved.      35 

had  ever  attempted  to  make  any  change  in  the  Old 
Testament,  such  an  attempt  would  have  been  exposed 
and  frustrated  by  the  Jews. 

Thus  we  see,  that  under  God's  providential  care 
for  the  Old  Testament,  even  the  rivalry  and  enmity 
of  Jews  and  Christians  have  been  overruled  for  good ; 
they  have  been  made  instrumental  in  the  preserva- 
tion of  His  Holy  "Word,  and  in  assuring  the  world  of 
its  integrity. 

A  Poet  of  old,  speaking  of  a  ship  in  a  stormy 
night,  says,  "  that  in  such  a  night  it  is  good  to  have 
two  Anchors  cast  out  of  the  vessel;"  one  anchor 
from  the  prow,  the  other  at  the  stern,  in  order  that 
it  may  ride  safely  in  the  storm 7.  In  the  tempests  of 
the  long  night  of  many  centuries,  the  sacred  vessel 
of  Holy  Scripture  has  been  moored  securely  on  the 
two  Anchors  of  the  Jewish  Synagogue  and  of  the 
Christian  Church. 

It  is  certain  that  the  Old  Testament,  as  it  is  now 
in  the  hands  of  the  Jews  dispersed  every  where, 
coincides  exactly  with  ^he  Old  Testament  in  the 
hands  of  the  Christian  Churches  diffused  throughout 
the  world. 

This  coincidence  is  an  incontrovertible  proof,  that 
the  Old  Testament,  which  we  have  in  our  own  hands 
at  this  day,  is  the  same  as  the  Old  Testament  in  the 
first  century  of  the  Christian  era. 

IY.  Let  us,  therefore,  now  ascend  in  our  thoughts 
to  the  first  century  of  the  Christian  era,  and  imagine 

7  Pindar,  Olymp.  vi.  1?2. 
C   6 


30     With  ivhat  reverence  the  Jews  in  our  Lord's  age 

ourselves  living  then,  and  suppose  the  case  of  pious 
Israelites,  such,  for  example,  as  an  aged  Simeon  or  a 
guileless  Nathanael  at  that  time. 

By  what  arguments  would  they  have  been  per" 
suaded,  and  by  what  evidence  would  they  have 
sought  to  persuade  others,  that  the  Old  Testament 
which  they  had,  is  inspired  by  God  ? 

1.  Doubtless  the  first  motive  which  impelled  the 
devout  Israelite  to  acknowledge  the  Old  Testament 
as  divine,  was  the  fact  that  he  saw  it  set  apart  from 
all  other  Books  by  the  universal  consent  and  uniform 
practice  of  his  own  Nation,  to  which  God  had  vouch- 
safed wonderful  marks  of  His  favour  and  blessing. 

He  saw  the  Books  of  the  Old  Testament  treated 
with  pious  reverence  by  the  whole  Hebrew  People 
He  beheld  those  Books  treasured  up  with  devout 
care  in  the  Synagogues,  and  brought  forth,  Sabbath 
after  Sabbath,  from  the  sacred  chest  in  those  Syna- 
gogues; he  saw  those  Volumes  unveiled,  and  un- 
rolled with  holy  veneration;  and  before  and  after 
the  reading  of  those  Writings,  he  heard  the  accents  of 
blessing  and  praise  addressed  to  God  for  the  gift  of 
those  sacred  Writings,  and  he  listened  to  their  words 
recited  with  scrupulous  care,  and  venerated  with  reli- 
gious awe 8. 

8  The  Jewish  authorities,  describing  the  forms  and  ceremonies  used 
in  the  Synagogues,  at  the  reading  of  the  Old  Testament,  may  be  seen 
in  the  Treatise  of  Vitringa,  De  Synagoga  Vetere,  lib.  iii.  pt.  ii.  cap.  8, 
pp.  961 — 975.  See  also  the  account  of  the  reading  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment in  the  Synagogues,  in  Prideaux's  Connexion,  part  i.  book  vi.  on 
B  c.  445—433. 


regarded  the  Old  Testament  ?     Joseplius.  37 

Every  Jew,  from  his  infancy,  was  thus  impressed 
with  a  belief  in  their  Truth  and  Inspiration. 

2.  The  feelings  with  which  the  pious  Israelite  re- 
garded the  Old  Testament  are  thus  described  by  a 
Writer  living  in  the  Apostolic  age,  who  was  eminently 
qualified  to  bear  witness  on  this  subject.  That  per- 
son is  Josephus,  the  Jewish  Historian,  one  of  the 
most  learned  Authors  of  that  time,  a  Pharisee,  and  of 
a  priestly  family,  and  descended  from  the  Asmonean 
Princes.  He  speaks  of  the  Old  Testament  as  fol- 
lows 9 :  "  "We  Jews  have  not  a  multitude  of  books  at 
variance  with  one  another,"  as  the  Heathen  have, 
"  but  we  have  only  Twenty-two  Books/'  Such  was 
the  reckoning  of  the  Jews,  by  whom  several  Books 
of  the  Old  Testament  were  counted  as  one ;  for  in- 
stance, the  Twelve  Minor  Prophets  were  reckoned 
by  them  as  one  Book  *,  and  so,  on  the  whole,  their 
Twenty-two  Books,  beginning  with  Genesis  and  end- 
ing with  Malachi,  correspond  to  our  Books  of  the 
Old  Testament.  "  We  have  only  Twenty-two  Books, 
which  contain  the  record  of  all  time,  and  are  the 
Books  which  are  rightly  believed  to  be  divine.  Five 
of  these  are  the  Books  of  Moses,  which  comprise  our 
Laws,  and  the  history  of  the  human  race  until  the 
death  of  Moses." 

Josephus  then  proceeds  to  describe  the  other 
Books  of  the  Old  Testament ;  and  sums  up  his  account 
with  these  memorable  words ; — "  We  show  by  our 

9  Josephus  c.  Apion.  i.  §  8. 

1  See  Bp.  Cosin  on  the  Canon  of  Scripture,  chap.  ii. 


38          On  what  grounds  did  that  reverence  rest  ? 

practice,  what  our  belief  is  in  these  Books.  For, 
although  so  long  a  time  has  elapsed  since  these 
Books  were  written,  yet  no  one  has  ever  ventured  to 
make  any  addition  to  them,  nor  to  take  any  thing 
from  them,  nor  to  make  any  change  in  them.  And 
it  is  a  principle  innate  in  every  Jew,  to  regard  these 
Books  as  Oracles  of  God,  and  to  cleave  to  them ;  yea 
and  to  die  gladly  for  them." 

3.  Such,  then,  was  the  judgment  of  the  Jewish 
Nation  concerning  the  Old  Testament. 

On  what  proofs  did  this  judgment  rest  ? 

First,  the  Diffusion  of  those  Books  into  all  parts  of 
the  world,  and  the  weekly  public  Reading  of  them 
for  many  centuries  in  Synagogues  before  the  Chris- 
tian era,  had  secured  them  inviolate.  The  Transla- 
tion also  of  those  Books  into  the  Greek  language 2, 
and  the  multiplication  of  copies  in  that  language  was 
another  safeguard.  The  formation  of  Chaldee  Para- 
phrases of  the  Old  Testament  served  also  for  a 
similar  purpose. 

4.  Even   the   greatest   national   afflictions  of  the 
Hebrew  People  had  been  made  by  God  to  subserve 
His  gracious  purposes  in  guarding,  preserving,  and 
disseminating  His  own  Word,  and  in  assuring  the 
world  of  its  Integrity. 

In  the  age  of  King  Rehoboam,  the  son  of  Solomon, 
Ten  Tribes  of  Israel  had  revolted  from  the  House  of 
Judah  3,  and  they  always  remained  separate  from  the 

*  See  Josephus,  Antiquities  xii.  2.  4—15. 
3  1  Kings  xii.  16—19. 


Integrity  of  the  Old  Testament,  how  secured.         39 

Two  Tribes  of  Judah  and  Benjamin.  Israel  and 
Judah  were  split  asunder,  and  formed  two  rival  king- 
doms. This  was  a  great  calamity,  but  God  educed 
good  from  it :  the  one  kingdom  acted  as  a  check  on 
the  other  in  the  custody  of  the  Bible.  Though  these 
kingdoms  were  opposed  to  each  other  in  other 
respects,  yet  they  agreed  in  receiving  the  same 
Bible.  Thus  under  God  they  co-operated  in  the 
guardianship  of  His  Word. 

If  King  Jeroboam  and  his  successors  on  the  Throne 
of  Israel,  and  the  Ten  Tribes  who  were  subject  to 
them,  had  been  able  to  convict  the  Two  Tribes  of 
making  any  alteration  in  the  Old  Testament,  they 
would  not  have  failed  to  do  so.  The  Kings  of  Israel, 
after  its  defection  from  Judah,  set  up  rival  objects  of 
worship  at  Dan  and  Beersheba ;  and  they  would  have 
drawn  off  more  worshippers  from  Jerusalem  to  their 
own  altars,  and  have  strengthened  their  own  secular 
power,  if  they  could  have  alleged  with  truth  that  the 
Two  Tribes  had  been  faithless  to  their  trust,  and  had 
tampered  with  the  Word  of  God.  And  if,  on  their 
side,  the  Ten  Tribes  had  made  any  change  in  the 
text  of  the  Old  Testament,  the  Two  Tribes  would 
have  raised  their  protest  against  such  alteration. 

The  fact  however  is,  that  the  Ten  Tribes  and  the 
Two  Tribes,  though  severed  from  each  other  by  many 
religious  jealousies,  and  political  antipathies,  had  but 
one  and  the  same  Bible.  Though  Ephraim  envied 
Judah,  and  Judah  vexed  Ephraim 4,  yet  Ephraim  and 

4  Isa.  xi.  13. 


40  Veracity  of  the  Old  Testament, 

Judah  agreed  in  receiving  and  revering  the  same 
Scriptures.  And  though  in  course  of  time  the  Ten 
Tribes  were  carried  away  captive 5  beyond  the 
Euphrates,  and  were  scattered  abroad  in  Media  and 
Persia,  and  also  in  Asia  and  Egypt ;  and  though 
afterwards  the  Two  Tribes  also  were  taken  away6 
from  their  own  home  to  Babylon  and  to  other  cities 
of  the  East,  yet  all  the  Twelve  Tribes,  wherever  dis- 
persed throughout  the  world,  were  united  as  one  man 
in  the  reading  of  the  same  Scriptures ;  and  they  have 
maintained  that  union  inviolate  even  to  this  hour 7. 

Y.  This  universal  reception  and  public  reading  of 
the  Old  Testament  is  also  a  proof  of  its  Truth. 

Consider  the  contents  of  the  Old  Testament. 
Open  the  Bible.  Examine  the  Pentateuch,  or  five 
Books  of  Moses.  They  do  not  give  a  nattering 
representation  of  the  Hebrew  Nation.  On  the  con- 
trary, they  exhibit  it  in  a  very  unfavourable  light. 
They  display  the  Israelites  as  rebelling  against  God 
immediately  after  they  had  been  rescued  from  Egypt, 
and  when  He  was  doing  mighty  works  in  their 


5  2  Kings  xvii.  6.  «  2  Kings  xxiv.  10;  xxv.  11.  20. 

7  The  case  of  the  Samaritan  Pentateuch  supplies  no  exception  to  this 
statement.  The  Samaritans  were  foreigners  (see  Luke  xvii.  18,  and 
cp.  Hengstenberg,  die  Authentic  des  Pentateuches,  p.  4),  and  not 
Israelites.  And  the  coincidence  of  the  Samaritan  Pentateuch  with 
the  Hebrew  affords  a  remarkable  testimony  to  the  integrity  of  the 
latter.  See  Walton,  Prolegomena,  cap.  xi.  The  allegation  that  there 
are  interpolations  in  the  Pentateuch,  which  are  later  than  the  age  of 
Moses,  is  examined  and  refuted  by  Havernick,  §  134,  pp.  541 — 9  of 
the  original  work,  or  pp.  3G1,  362  of  the  English  Translation,  1850.  Cp. 
Hengstenberg,  die  Authentic  des  Pentateuches,  vol.  ii.  pp.  179—338. 


"how  proved.  41 

behalf,  and  showering  down  favours  upon  them.  If, 
as  some  allege,  the  Author  of  the  Pentateuch  had 
been  writing  a  fictitious  account  of  miracles  that  had 
never  been  wrought,  and  of  mercies  that  had  never 
been  vouchsafed,  he  would  have  said  that  all  the 
People  were  so  astounded  by  the  stupendous  majesty 
of  the  miracles,  and  were  so  affected  by  the  gracious 
beneficence  of  the  mercies,  that  they  were  riveted 
by  them  in  unswerving  obedience. 

But  no ;  Moses  displays  to  us  the  Hebrew  Nation 
as  falling  into  idolatry  in  the  wilderness,  after  their 
deliverance  from  their  enemies,  and  when  God  was 
about  to  give  them  the  Law  from  Mount  Sinai 8.  He 
exhibits  them  rebelling  against  God,  when  He  was 
feeding  them  with  bread  from  heaven,  and  giving 
them  water  from  the  rock  B,  and  leading  them  with  a 
pillar  of  fire  *.  At  the  close  of  the  forty  years'  sojourn 
in  the  wilderness,  just  before  his  death,  his  testimony 
of  them  is,  Ye  have  been  rebellions  against  the  Lord, 
from  the  day  that  I  kneiv  you  2.  The  Pentateuch  is  a 
censure  upon  Israel.  St.  Stephen,  speaking  in  the 
Name  of  Jehovah,  sums  up  its  history,  0  ye  house 
of  Israel,  have  ye  offered  to  Me  slain  beasts  and  sacrifices 
by  the  space  of  forty  years  in  the  wilderness  ?  Yea,  ye 
took  up  the  tabernacle  of  Moloch,  and  the  star  of  your 
God  Remphan,  figures  which  ye  made  to  worship  them  : 
and  I  will  carry  you  away  beyond  Babylon 3. 

8  Exod.  xxxii.  9  Exod.  xvi.  2 ;  and  xvii.  2. 

1  Exod.  xiv.  20. 

2  Deut.  ix.  24.     The  whole  Chapter  is  very  important  in  this  light. 

3  Acts  vii.  42—44. 


42  Veracity  of  the  Old  Testament. 

The  Books  of  Moses  also  relate,  that  on  account  of 
their  sins,  all  the  Israelites  that  came  out  of  Egypt, 
with  the  exception  of  two,  were  excluded  from  the 
Land  of  Promise 4.  Thus  the  Author  frankly  con- 
fesses the  insufficiency  of  his  own  guidance  and 
government  to  bring  them  into  that  Land,  and 
implies  a  failure  on  his  part. 

He  also  honestly  records  his  own  sin,  and  his 
consequent  exclusion  from  Canaan 5.  He  relates  the 
sin  of  his  brother  Aaron 6  in  making  the  golden  calf; 
and  the  sin  of  his  sister  Miriam 7  in  murmuring 
against  himself;  and  the  sin  of  his  brother's  sons 
Nadab  and  Abihu 8,  for  which  they  were  destroyed 
by  God ;  and  the  sin  of  some  of  his  own  Tribe, 
Korah  and  his  company,  for  which  they  were  con- 
sumed by  fire 9. 

Men  are  prone  to  speak  well  of  themselves,  and  to 
eulogize  their  own  nation.  No  man,  it  may  be  safely 
affirmed,  writes  libels  on  himself,  and  on  his  own 
family,  and  on  the  people  committed  to  his  rule. 
Nations  are  wont  to  dress  up  and  embellish  their 
own  History  in  terms  flattering  to  themselves.  But 
no  Nation  has  ever  adopted  calumnies  against  itself, 
and  publicly  recited  them,  in  all  parts  of  the  world, 
and  venerated  them  as  oracles  of  God. 

But  the  Hebrew  People  has  accepted  the  Penta- 
teuch as  its  own  History  written  by  the  hand  of 

*  Deut.  i.  35,  36.  38.  s  Numb.  xx.  12. 

6  Exod.  xxxii.  7  Numb.  xii.  1. 

8  Levit.  x.  I.  9  Numb.  xvi. 


Divine  Origin  of  the  Pentateuch,  how  avouched.     43 

God.  It  has  read  it  publicly  as  such  ever  since  it 
was  written. 

The  great  National  yearly  Festivals  to  which  the 
Jews  resorted  from  all  parts  of  the  world,  were  also 
standing  monuments  of  the  historical  veracity  of  the 
Pentateuch.  The  Passover,  Pentecost,  and  Taber- 
nacles, at  which  the  Pentateuch  was  publicly  read  in 
the  ears  of  all  the  people  every  seventh  year ',  com- 
memorated the  wonderful  facts,  recorded  by  Moses  in 
the  Pentateuch,  and  bore  witness  to  its  truth. 

Therefore  we  may  justly  conclude  that  the  Penta- 
teuch is  true. 

YI.  1.  The  devout  Israelite,  being  thus  convinced 
of  the  Integrity  and  Truth  of  the  Pentateuch,  would 
next  proceed  to  the  proof  of  its  Inspiration. 

In  that  true  History  he  saw  his  own  Nation  set 
apart  by  God,  from  ancient  days,  as  a  holy  People. 
He  knew  from  that  History  that  the  Tabernacle a  in 
the  wilderness  had  been  fenced  off  by  God  from 
other  places.  He  knew  that  in  that  Tabernacle 
there  was  a  place  distinguished  from  the  rest,  and 
called  the  Holy  of  Holies.  He  knew  that  in  the 
mysterious  darkness  of  that  Holy  of  Holies,  separated 
by  the  Yeil,  which  hung  before  it,  was  the  Ark ;  and, 
above  the  Ark,  the  Mercy  Seat ;  and  on  the  Mercy 
Seat  the  Cherubim,  stretching  their  wings  over  it; 
and  that  this  Mercy  Seat  was  the  Dwelling-place  of 
the  Divine  Presence,  and  into  that  most  Holy  Place 

1  Deut.  xxxi.  10.  2  Exod.  xxv.  8—22 ;  xxvi.  33. 


44<     Original  oftlie  Pentateuch  preserved  in  the  Holy 
of  Holies 

no  one  might  enter,  except  the  High  Priest,  and  he 
only  once  a  year 3. 

2.  Observe  now  the  visible  and  practical  testimony 
thus  afforded  by  God  Himself  to  the  Inspiration  of 
the  Old  Testament. 

As  soon  as  the  Pentateuch  was  written,  He  com- 
manded Moses  to  place  it  in  the  Holy  of  Holies,  by 
the  side  of  the  Ark,  the  Throne  of  God 4.  God  Him- 
self thus  set  apart  that  Book  from  all  other  books. 
He  declared  that  it  is  not  "  a  common  book."  He 
enshrined  it  in  His  own  Oracle,  He  consecrated  it. 
The  God  of  Truth  Himself  thus  avouched  its  vera- 
city. The  Omnipotent  thus  protected  it.  He  re- 
ceived it  under  the  shadow  of  His  Wings  and  made  it 
safe  under  His  feathers 5.  The  Holy  One  of  Israel 
thus  also  proclaimed  its  sanctity.  He  acknowledged 
it  as  His  own. 

This  Book  of  the  Law,  treasured  up  in  the  Holy  of 
Holies,  was  the  Original,  from  which  Copies  were  to 
be  made ;  and  it  was  the  standard  by  which  those 
copies  were  to  be  revised  and  verified.  The  sacred 
Original  was  to  remain  in  the  most  Holy  Place.  But 

»  Levit.  xvi.  2.  32. 

4  See  Deut.  xxxi.  9.  24 — 26.     Josh.  xxiv.  26.     That  this  command 
concerned  the  whole  Pentateuch  is  clearly  shown  by  Havernick,  Einlei- 
tung  i.  p.  19.    The  objection  of  some  recent  sceptical  writers  (such  as 
De  Wette  and  others),  alleging  that  this  statement  is  inconsistent  with 
the  assertion  in  1  Kings  viii.  9,  that  in  Solomon's  days  there  was  no- 
thing in  the  Ark  save  the  Two  Tables  of  stone,  is  refuted  by  the  fact 
that  the  Law  is  not  said  in  Deut.  xxxi.  26,  to  be  deposited  in  the  Ark, 
but  by  the  side  of  it.     Cp.  Josephus,  Antiq.  viii.  4. 

5  Ps.  xci.  4. 


and  copied  out  ly  Kings  witJi  their  own  hand.          45 

the  knowledge  of  its  contents  was  to  be  diffused 
every  where. 

In  order  still  further  to  declare  its  divine  autho- 
rity, Almighty  God  commanded  that  the  Kings  of 
the  Hebrew  Nation  should  make  with  their  own 
hands  a  copy  of  the  Law  from  the  Original  that 
was  kept  in  the  Holy  of  Holies 6.  Sovereigns  were 
to  be  its  transcribers,  and  to  keep  the  Law  of  God 
always  by  their  side,  as  the  code  and  charter  of  their 
government 7. 

This  sacred  Original  was  preserved  in  the  Taber- 
nacle, and  in  the  Temple,  for  many  generations 8 ; 
and  in  all  probability  it  was  this  Original,  which, 
having  been  rescued  from  the  hands  of  idolatrous 
Princes,  and  secreted  in  evil  days,  was  discovered  in 
the  Temple  in  the  days  of  the  good  King  Josiah  9. 
It  was  the  sight  of  that  venerable  Yolume,  written 
by  the  great  Lawgiver,  and  the  sound  of  the  divine 
words  recited  from  that  holy  oracle,  which  affected 
the  tender  heart  of  that  pious  youthful  Prince  with 
awe  and  penitential  sorrow  for  the  sins  of  the 
People  committed  to  his  charge,  and  with  godly  fear 
of  the  divine  judgments  hanging  over  their  heads. 

3.  The  truth  of  the  Pentateuch  being  proved,  and 

6  Deut.  xvii.  18,  19.     Josh.  i.  8. 

7  Cp.  the  remarks  of  Havernick,  Einleitung,  §  139  of  the  original, 
or  §  35  of  the  English  Translation. 

8  See  preceding  page. 

9  2  Chron.  xxxiv.  14,  15.     2  Kings  xxii.  8—10.     See  Bishop  Pa- 
trick and  Dr.   Kennicott  on  2  Kings  xxii.  8,  and  Havernick's  Ein- 
leitung, §  139,  or  §  35  of  the  English  Translation. 


46  Divine  Inspiration 

its  Inspiration  being  avouched,  it  follows  as  a  neces- 
sary consequence  that  the  rest  of  the  Old  Testament  is 
also  divinely  inspired. 

The  Old  Testament  was  called  "  the  Law,  and  the 
Prophets1,"  and  it  is  certain  that  all  the  Jews  re- 
garded the  Prophets  as  on  a  par  with  the  Law.  They 
revered  the  Law  and  the  Prophets  as  the  lively  oracles 
of  God. 

Almighty  God  had  commanded  in  the  Law,  that 
if  any  man  laid  claim  to  be  called  a  Prophet  of  the 
Lord,  and  could  not  establish  that  claim,  he  was  to 
be  put  to  death 2. 

Thus  God  had  provided  a  safeguard  against  the 
reception  of  any  prophecy,  which  could  not  prove  its 
divine  origin.  And  since  the  Prophetical  Books  of 
the  Old  Testament  were  received  universally  by  the 
Hebrew  Nation  as  of  equal  authority  with  the  Books 
of  the  Law,  which  were  enshrined  by  God's  com- 
mand in  the  Holy  of  Holies,  this  concurrent  consent 
of  God's  people  is  no  other  than  the  witness  of  God 
Himself  to  the  Divine  Authority  of  the  Prophets. 

Consider,  also,  that  the  Hebrew  Prophets  do  not 
flatter  the  Hebrew  People.  They  speak  with  holy 
boldness,  as  Ambassadors  of  God,  in  stern  and  severe 
language,  and  rebuke  them  for  their  sins,  and  call 
them  to  repentance,  and  denounce  divine  retribution 
upon  them,  unless  they  repent.  God's  commission 
to  them  was,  Cry  aloud,  spare  not,  lift  up  thy  voice 

1  See  Matt.  xxii.  40.     Luke  xvi.  16.     Acts  xiii.  15. 

2  Deut.  xiii.  5  ;  xviii.  20.     Cp.  Jer.  xiv.  15.     Zech.  xiii.  3. 


of  the  Prophetical  Books  of  the  Old  Testament.      47 

like  a  trumpet,  and  show  My  people  their  transgression, 
and  the  House  of  Jacob  their  sins  3. 

Can  it  be  supposed  by  any  reasonable  man,  that 
the  Hebrew  People  would  have  received  such  writings 
as  theirs,  and  would  have  revered  them  as  of  equal 
authority  with  the  Books  of  Moses,  unless  they  had 
been  constrained  by  the  most  cogent  proofs  and  irre- 
sistible arguments  to  acknowledge  their  divine  autho- 
rity? No.  They  would  have  treated  them  in  the 
same  scornful  and  contumelious  manner  as  the  un- 
happy King  Jehoiakim,  sitting  in  his  winter-house 
with  the  fire  burning  on  the  hearth,  treated  the 
Prophetic  Roll  of  Jeremiah 4 ;  they  would  have  cut 
them  into  shreds,  and  have  destroyed  them.  But 
no:  they  did  not  dare  to  do  so.  They  received 
them ;  they  bowed  their  heads  before  them  with 
reverential  awe,  and  acknowledged  them  to  be  the 
oracles  of  God. 

Thus  even  the  sins  of  the  Jews  have  been  made 
instrumental  in  proving  the  Inspiration  of  the  Old 
Testament.  Their  sins,  by  which  they  broke  the 
commands  contained  in  the  Old  Testament,  show  that, 
if  they  had  been  able,  they  would  have  rejected 
those  Books  by  which  their  sins  are  condemned. 
But  they  received  them  as  divine.  They  carry  them 
every  where  in  their  hands.  Even  to  this  day  they 
wander  about,  a  National  Cain,  having  killed  their 

3  Isa.  Iviii.  1 .  *  Jer.  xxxvi.  22. 


48      Completion  of  the  Canon  of  the  Old  Testament. 

own  brother  Abel — the  true  Shepherd  of  the  sheep, 
and  bear  about  with  them  the  mark  of  God 5. 

4.  Here  also  we  have  another  proof  that  no  altera- 
tion has  ever  been  made  in  the  Old  Testament.  The 
Prophets  of  God  rebuke  the  People  for  their  sins. 
But  the  Prophetical  Books  do  not  contain  a  single 
syllable  of  reproof  addressed  to  the  Jewish  People 
for  the  sin  of  altering  their  Scriptures.  If  the 
People  had  ever  committed  so  heinous  a  sin  as 
that,  it  must  have  been  noticed  by  the  Prophets. 
And  since  those  Books  do  not  give  any  hint  that  any 
such  alteration  was  ever  attempted,  we  may  rest 
assured,  that  the  Hebrew  Scriptures  were  preserved 
inviolate  by  the  Hebrew  People. 

VII.  Let  us  now  fix  our  eyes  on  the  historical 
epoch  when  those  Scriptures  were  completed.  This 
was  after  the  return  of  the  Jews  from  Babylon ; 
in  the  time  of  Ezra,  about  440  years  before  Christ. 

Almighty  God  then  raised  up  holy  men,  who  re- 
vised the  copies  of  the  Old  Testament,  and  were 
commissioned  to  add  some  writings  to  them,  and  to 
seal  up  the  Scriptures,  and  to  deliver  them  to  future 
ages.  Ezra  himself,  the  Priest  of  God  and  Scribe*, 
was  one  of  these ;  and  with  him  were  the  Prophets 
Haggai,  Zechariah,  and  Malachi,  whose  divine  mis- 
sion has  been  proved  by  the  fulfilment  of  their 

*  Gen.  iv.  15.  6  Ezra  vii.  6.  10.  12. 


External  Evidence  confirmed  ly  internal.          49 

Prophecies.  The  sacred  Yolume  was  then  closed 7. 
Malachi  is  called  by  the  Jews  "  the  Seal  of  the  Pro- 
phets." The  voice  of  Prophecy  ceased  with  him, 
and  it  remained  silent  for  four  hundred  years,  when 
it  sounded  forth  again  with  clear  accents  at  the 
coming  of  Christ. 

VIII.  The  pious  Israelite,  who  meditated  on  these 
facts,  would  see  strong  reason  to  remain  stedfast  in 
the  belief  of  his  forefathers,  that  the  Books  of  the 
Old  Testament  were  given  by  Inspiration  of  God. 
And  when  he  examined  the  contents  of  those  Scrip- 
tures, the  more  he  would  be  convinced  that  this 
belief  is  true.  The  beauty,  majesty,  and  simplicity 
of  the  Hebrew  Scriptures ;  their  adaptation  to  the 
nature  and  needs  of  mankind ;  the  holiness  of  their 
precepts,  the  harmony  of  all  their  parts,  extending 
through  a  thousand  years,  the  fulfilment  of  their 

7  See  Josephus  c.  Apion.  i.  §  8,  and  the  assertions  of  the  Hebrew 
Rabbis  in  the  Mishna,  torn.  iv.  p.  409,  ed.  Surenhusii,  Amst.  1702, 
and  Buxtorfii  Tiberias,  capp.  x.  and  xi.  pp.  90 — 99,  ed.  Basil.  1665. 
Prideaux's  Connexion,  part  i.  books  v.  and  vi.  Bp.  Beveridge  on  the 
Vlth  Article,  p.  271,  ed.  Oxf.  1840,  and  Havernick,  Einleitung,  §  8,  pp. 
27—38,  and  Dr.  W.  Lee  on  Inspiration,  p.  302. 

Ezra,  Haggai,  Zechariah,  and  Malachi  revised  the  copies,  and  closed 
the  Canon  of  the  Old  Testament.  But  the  notion  that  Ezra  restored 
the  Old  Testament,  after  it  had  been  destroyed,  is  an  apocryphal  fable. 
Some  ancient  Christian  Fathers  are  cited  in  support  of  it.  Irenaeus 
iii.  21.  Cp.  Euseb.  H.  E.  v,  8.  Clemens  Alex.  Strom.  1.  xxii.  Ter- 
tullian  de  cultu  mulier.  c.  3.  S.  Jerome  c.  Helvid.  c.  3.  But  they 
do  not  maintain  it.  The  work  de  mirab.  Script,  (ii.  33)  ascribed  to 
S.  Augustine,  and  quoted  by  some  as  countenancing  that  fable,  is  spu- 
rious. The  Christian  Fathers  bear  testimony  to  the  genuine  Jewish 
tradition  that  Ezra  and  the  Prophets  with  him  revised  and  completed 
the  Canon  of  the  Old  Testament. 


50  Reply  to  the  Sceptical  allegation  grounded 

prophecies,  the  blessings  conferred  on  those  who 
received  and  obeyed  them,  would  establish  him  more 
firmly  in  that  faith. 

IX.  This  faith  of  the  ancient  people  of  God  is  our 
faith  also :  we  receive  the  Old  Testament  from  the 
hands  of  those,  to  whom,  as  the  Apostle  says,  were 
committed  the  oracles  of  God. 

A  few  words  may  be  said  here,  in  reply  to  a  scep- 
tical objection. 

"  You  say  that  you  receive  Moses,  David,  and  Isaiah, 
on  the  testimony  of  the  Jews ;  but  did  not  the  Jews 
reject  Jesus  Christ  ?  "What  rational  ground,"  we  are 
asked,  "  can  you  assign  for  disregarding  the  decision 
of  the  Jews  in  the  case  of  Jesus,  and  accepting  it  sub- 
missively in  the  case  of  Moses,  David,  and  Isaiah 8  ?  " 

To  this  question  it  may  be  replied,  that  the  pious 
and  devout  Jews,  who  received  Moses,  David,  and 
Isaiah,  did  not  reject  Jesus  Christ.  Nay  rather,  be- 
came they  received  the  Prophets,  therefore  they  re- 
ceived Jesus  Christ.  Their  language  was,  We  have 
found  Him  of  Whom  Moses  and  the  Prophets  did  ivrite, 
Jesus  of  Nazareth  the  son  of  Joseph 9. 

True  it  is,  that  some  Jews  who  held  the  Old  Tes- 
tament in  their  hands,  but  did  not  understand  the 
voices  of  the  Prophets,  which  icere  read  in  their  syna- 
gogues every  Sabbath  day,  fulfilled  them  in  condemning 


8  These  words  are  transcribed  from  a  Volume  recently  published  by 
a  sceptical  writer. 

9  John  i.  45. 


upon  the  rejection  of  Christ  ly  the  Jews.  51 

Him  \  and  thus,  even  by  their  unbelief,  they  proved 
the  Truth  and  Inspiration  of  those  Prophets.  For, 
those  Prophets  had  foretold,  that  many  of  the  Jews 
to  whom  the  Prophecies  concerning  Christ  were  deli- 
vered, would  not  understand  and  believe  them.  For 
example,  Isaiah  asks,  when  prophesying  of  Christ, 
Lord,  who  hath  believed  our  report 2  ?  He  anticipates 
unbelief.  Wonderful  indeed  it  was,  that  the  unbe- 
lieving Jews  fulfilled  those  Prophecies,  by  doing 
those  very  things  to  Jesus  Christ  which  those  Prophe- 
cies foretold  that  they  would  do 3.  Thus  the  Unbelief 
of  those  who  fulfilled  those  Prophecies  by  rejecting 
Christ,  is  an  argument  for  the  truth  of  those  Pro- 
phecies, and  it  is  a  proof  of  the  wisdom  of  those  who 
understood  those  Prophecies  and  received  Him. 

Indeed,  here  is  another  evidence  of  God's  Divine 
power  in  preserving  the  Scriptures,  and  of  Christ's 
truth,  concerning  whom  those  Scriptures  speak.  We 
Christians  receive  Jesus  Christ  on  the  evidence  of 
those  Prophecies  which  are  guarded  by  Jews  who 
reject  Christ.  Therefore  it  cannot  be  alleged  by  the 
adversaries  of  Christianity,  that  we  have  tampered 
with  the  documents  by  which  we  prove  its  truth. 
Those  documents  come  to  us  from  the -Jews.  We 
appeal  to  the  Old  Testament,  which  is  preserved  by 
them  who  hold  no  converse  with  us.  The  Jews,  even 


1  Acts  xiii.  27. 

2  Isa.  liii.  1.     See  St.  John's  comment  on  that  passage  of  Isaiah. 
John  xii.  38. 

3  Acts  xiii.  27. 

D    2 


52  Review  of  the  argument. 

to  this  day,  guard  the  Title-deeds  of  Christ  whom  they 
have  crucified.  From  the  words  of  Moses,  David, 
and  Isaiah,  in  their  hands,  we  prove  the  Divine  mis- 
sion of  Jesus  Christ  *. 

X.  Let  us  now  review  what  has  been  said.  As 
soon  as  the  Pentateuch  was  written,  God  provided 
for  its  safe  custody.  He  enshrined  it  in  the  Holy  of 
Holies,  and  placed  it  under  the  wings  of  the  Cheru- 
bim. Thus  God  Himself  declared  it  to  be  divine. 
That  Book  was  a  precious  jewel  set  in  a  holy  casket 
by  His  hand.  Copies  were  to  be  made  of  it.  Kings 
were  to  write  them.  "  The  Holy  Spirit  spake  by  the 
Prophets,"  and  added  their  writings  to  the  Law 
of  Moses.  The  divine  Institution  of  the  weekly 
Sabbath,  and  of  the  yearly  National  Festivals,  pro- 
moted the  study  of  the  Law,  and  bare  witness  to  its 
truth.  The  dispersion  of  the  Levites  as  the  Exposi- 
tors of  the  Law,  throughout  the  Holy  Land ;  and  the 
raising  up  of  Prophets,  who  were  God's  Messengers, 
were  providential  arrangements  for  preserving  the 
Old  Testament,  and  for  assuring  the  People  of  its 
divine  authority.  The  national  calamities  of  the 
Hebrew  People  were  made  subservient  to  the  same 
end.  The  dissolution  of  the  Twelve  Tribes  into  two 
separate  kingdoms,  and  the  downfall  of  those  King- 

4  This  argument  is  eloquently  urged  by  S.  Justin  Martyr,  Cohortat. 
ad  Graces,  cap.  13,  and  by  S.  Augustine  in  Psalm,  xl.  and  Ivi.  Pro- 
ferimus  codices  ab  inimicis  ut  confundamus  alios  inimicos.  Codicem 
portat  Judaeus,  unde  credat  Christianus.  Librarii  nostri  facti  sunt.  See 
also  his  treatise  c.  Faustum,  xii.  c.  13,  and  de  Unitate  Ecclesiae,  c.  16. 


Review  of  the  argument.  53 

doms,  and  the  dispersion  of  the  Ten  Tribes  and  of 
the  Two  Tribes  into  all  parts  of  the  world,  where 
Synagogues  were  built  for  the  reading  of  the  Scrip- 
tures on  the  Sabbath  days ;  and  the  universal  con- 
sent of  all  those  scattered  Tribes,  receiving  the  same 
Bible  and  venerating  it  as  the  Word  of  God,  have 
also  been  instrumental  in  guarding  and  diffusing  the 
Old  Testament,  and  in  guaranteeing  its  integrity 
and  truth. 

These  divine  dispensations  are  clear  evidences  of 
design.  They  are  witnesses  of  a  providential  super- 
intendence, watching  over  the  Old  Testament  for 
fifteen  hundred  years  from  the  days  of  Moses  to  those 
of  Christ.  Almighty  God  speaks  by  them,  and  pro- 
claims the  integrity,  the  veracity,  and  the  inspiration 
of  the  Old  Testament. 

This  testimony  extends  to  the  whole  of  the  Old 
Testament.  It  covers  the  entire  Yolume. 

That  providential  care  has  been  also  continued 
from  the  age  of  Christ  to  this  hour, — that  is,  for  near 
two  thousand  years.  Even  the  rejection  of  Christ  by 
the  Jews,  and  their  hostility  to  Christianity,  have 
been  made  ministerial  to  the  custody  of  the  Scrip- 
tures, and  to  the  proof  of  their  Truth  and  Inspira- 
tion. 

The  care  with  which  God  has  guarded  the  Books 
of  the  Old  Testament  has  not  been  relaxed  for  a 
moment  since  they  were  written.  He  that  watcheth 
over  them  neither  slumbers  nor  sleeps  5.  Nay  rather, 

5  Ps.  cxxi.  4. 
D   3 


54     The  testimony  of  the  Hebrew  Church  to  the  Old 
Testament,  confirmed  by  the  witness  of  Christ. 

that  providential  care  has  manifested  itself  more 
clearly  in  every  successive  age. 

The  Pentateuch  was  placed  in  the  Holy  of  Holies 
and  was  enshrined  under  the  wings  of  the  Cherubim. 
And  now, — as  we  shall  proceed  to  show, — the  whole 
of  the  OLD  TESTAMENT  has  been  placed  under  the 
protection  of  the  INCARNATE  WORD.  It  is  safe  under 
the  guardianship  of  JESUS  CHRIST,  Who  is  the  same 
yesterday,  and  to-day,  and  for  ever e.  And  thus  the 
conclusion  at  which  we  have  arrived — namely,  that 
the  whole  of  the  Old  Testament  is  the  inspired 
Word  of  God — is  more  firmly  strengthened  and 
established. 

This  is  what  will  be  proved,  with  God's  help,  in 
the  next  discourse. 

6  Heb.  xiii.  8. 


LECTURE  III. 


LUKE  iv.  14 — 17« 

And  Jesus  returned  in  the  power  of  the  Spirit  into  Galilee :  and 
there  went  out  a  fame  of  Him  through  all  the  region  round  about. 

And  He  taught  in  their  Synagogues,  being  glorified  of  all. 

And  He  came  to  Nazareth,  where  He  had  been  brought  up  :  and 
as  His  custom  was,  He  went  into  the  Synagogue  on  the  Sabbath  day, 
and  stood  up  for  to  read.  And  there  was  delivered  unto  Him  the 
Book  of  the  Prophet  Esaias. 

ON  what  grounds  do  we  receive  the  whole  of  the 
Old  Testament  as  the  inspired  Word  of  Grod  ? 

I.  To  this  question  one  answer  has  been  already 
given  ; — We  receive  the  whole  of  the  Old  Testament 
as  such,  on  the  authority  of  God  Himself  declared  by 
the  universal  consent  and  practice  of  His  own  People, 
the  Jews,  to  whom,  as  St.  Paul  says,  were  committed  the 
oracles  of  God1,  that  is  to  say,  who  were  entrusted 
with   the   guardianship   of  the   Books   of  the   Old 
Testament. 

II.  Let  us  now  proceed  to  show,  that  this  testimony 
to  the  Inspiration  of  the  Old  Testament,  is  confirmed 

1  Rom.  iii.  I. 
D   4 


56  Testimony  of  Jesus  Christ 

and  verified  by  the  infallible  witness  of  our  Lord  and 
Saviour  JESUS  CHRIST.  The  INCARNATE  WORD  Him- 
self sets  his  own  divine  seal  on  the  written  Word. 
The  Son  of  God  delivers  to  us  all  the  Books  of  the 
Old  Testament  as  the  inspired  Oracles  of  God.  He 
who  is  the  Way,  the  Truth>  and  the  Life 2,  proclaims 
that  these  Books  show  to  us  the  Way  of  Salvation, 
and  that  they  are  words  of  Truth,  and  will  lead  all 
who  receive  them,  with  faith  in  Himself,  to  the  joys 
of  Life  Eternal. 

Hence  we  may  derive  a  firm  assurance,  which 
cannot  be  gainsaid,  that  the  whole  of  the  Old  Tes- 
tament is  the  inspired  Word  of  God. 

But,  it  may  be  asked, 

How  is  this  proposition  proved  ? 

Why  do  we  receive  this  testimony  of  Christ  ? 
Why  do  we  appeal  to  that  testimony  as  a  sufficient 
ground  for  our  own  belief  in  the  Inspiration  of  the 
Old  Testament  ? 

III.  In  order  to  answer  that  question,  we  must 
begin  with  taking  into  our  hands  the  Four  Gospels, 
which  profess  to  relate  the  sayings  and  actions  of 
Jesus  Christ. 

1.  We  can  prove  by  external  testimony,  that  these 
Four  Gospels  existed,  in  the  same  state  as  that  in 
which  they  now  exist,  at  the  end  of  the  first  century 
of  the  Christian  era,  that  is,  nearly  1800  years  ago. 
Ancient  authors  testify,  that  St.  John's  Gospel  was 

2  John  xiv.  6. 


to  the  Inspiration  of  the  Old  Testament.  57 

written  at  that  time,  and  that  he  acknowledged  the 
truth  of  the  other  three  Gospels, — those  of  St. 
Matthew,  St.  Mark,  and  St.  Luke, — and  added  his 
own  Gospel,  to  complete  the  Evangelical  History 3. 

2.  We  can  also  prove  by  external  evidence,  that 
those  Gospels,  thus  completed  by  St.  John,  were 
received,  and  were  publicly  read  *  as  true  Histories, 
by  large  communities  of  men,  who  had  the  best 
opportunities  of  testing  and  knowing  their  truth ; 
namely,  by  the  Christians,  and  by  the  Christian 
Churches  which  existed  in  primitive  times.  They 
never  would  have  read  those  Gospels  unless  they  had 
believed  them  ;  they  never  would  have  believed  them 
unless  those  Gospels  were  true. 

We  can  show  that  those  persons  and  Churches 
could  not  have  been  deceived  as  to  the  credibility  of 
those  Gospels.  We  can  show  that  they  could  not 
have  deceived  others.  They  were  plain  simple  men. 
They  had  no  human  learning,  wealth  or  power.  We 
can  show  that  they  had  no  earthly  interest  to  serve 
in  asserting  the  truth  of  those  Gospels.  The  asser- 
tion of  that  truth  exposed  them  to  the  loss  of  all 
worldly  things.  They  resisted  all  earthly  tempta- 

3  See  Clemens  Alexandria,  ap  Euseb.  vi.  15;  cp.  Euseb.  iii.  24. 
Canon  Muratorian.  in  Routh's  Reliquiae  Sacrae,  iv.  p.  2.     Victorin.  in 
Apocalyps.  Bibl.  Putr.  Max.  iii.  41.     Theodor.  Mopsuest.  in  Catena  ad 
Joann.  in  Dr.  Mill's  Greek  Test.  p.  198. 

4  Irenaeus  iii.  1;  iii.  11.  7  — J).      See  Justin  Martyr.  Apol.  i.  67- 
Cp.  Westcott  on  the  Canon  of  the  New  Test.  p.  365  and  p.  367  : 
"  No  one  at  present  will  deny  that  they  (the  Gospels,  &c.)  occupied 
the  same  position  in  the  estimation  of  Christians  in  the  time  of  Irenseus 
(i.  e.  in  the  second  century)  as  they  hold  now." 

D    5 


58  Proof  of  the  Truth  of  the  Gospels, 

tions ;  they  endured,  cheerfully  endured,  all  priva- 
tions, sufferings,  and  torments  for  its  sake  5.  They 
were  stoned,  beheaded,  crucified,  burnt,  cast  to  the 
wild  beasts.  These  things,  and  more,  they  suffered 
in  defence  of  the  Truth  of  the  Four  Gospels. 

3.  Now  mark  the  wonderful  result. 

That  very  Power,  the  Power  of  Home,  Heathen 
Rome,  Imperial  Home,  which  at  first  persecuted  the 
Christians,  and  beheaded  the  Christians,  and  crucified 
the  Christians,  and  cast  the  Christians  to  wild  beasts 
for  asserting  the  truth  of  the  Gospels ;  that  very 
Power  itself,  that  Roman  Power,  that  Heathen 
Power,  that  Imperial  Power,  that  Power  which  then 
ruled  the  world,  was  itself  at  length  convinced  of  the 
Truth  of  the  Four  Gospels,  which  were  received  as 
God's  Word  by  the  Christians.  That  self-same 
Roman  Power,  the  Queen  and  Mistress  of  the  World, 
was  converted  to  the  cause  of  the  Gospels.  She 
publicly  owned  her  conversion ;  she  acknowledged 


5  Especially  in  the  persecution  under  the  Roman  Emperor  Diocle- 
tian, A.D.  303,  who  endeavoured  to  destroy  the  copies  of  the  Christian 
Scriptures,  and  burnt  many  of  those  writings.  See  Euseb.  Hist.  Eccl. 
viii.  2.  Lactant.  de  mort.  Persecutor,  c.  xii.  The  Christians  who 
were  tempted  by  fear  to  surrender  copies  of  them  to  their  heathen  per- 
secutors were  called  "  traditores  "  by  their  brethren.  See  the  Passio 
of  S.  Felix  in  Baluzii  Miscellanea  ii.  p.  77.  Gieseler,  Church  Hist. 
§  55  and  56.  Routh,  Reliquiae  Sacree,  torn.  v.  p.  348.  "  The  holy 
Martyrs  in  their  Acts  (collected  by  Ruinart,  Amst.  1713,  see  pp.  87. 
89.  356,  357.  394)  proclaim  in  the  presence  of  their  Judges,  that  the 
Holy  Books  received  by  the  Christians  at  that  time, — the  Gospels  and 
the  other  Books, — are  revered  by  them,  and  are  believed  to  be  directly 
inspired,  and  are  affectionately  guarded  by  them  unto  death,  and  are 
not  to  be  given  up  to  any  one." 


and  consequently,  of  Christ's  divine  authority.       59 

that  those  whom  she  had  put  to  death  as  Christians, 
were  Martyrs  to  the  Truth.  She  revered  the 
memories  of  Peter  and  Paul  whom  she  had  killed. 
She  who  by  the  force  of  arms  had  made  the  Na- 
tions of  the  world  to  pass  under  her  military  yoke, 
humbly  and  meekly  bowed  her  own  head  beneath 
the  yoke  of  Christ.  She  changed  her  magnificent 
Heathen  Temples  into  Christian  Churches.  And  in 
those  Heathen  Temples,  when  changed  into  Chris- 
tian Churches,  the  Four  Gospels  of  Matthew  and 
Mark,  Luke  and  John  were  thenceforth  read  as  true 
and  divine  histories.  She  placed  those  Four  Gospels 
upon  Thrones  in  her  own  Council  Chambers 6 ;  and 
the  Cross  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  who  had  been  cruci- 
fied by  the  Roman  Governor  Pontius  Pilate, — yes, 
the  Cross  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  of  obscure  Nazareth, 
in  despised  Galilee, — dislodged  the  Roman  Eagle 
from  the  military  Standards  of  the  Roman  Legions, 
and  was  set  on  the  Imperial  Diadem  of  the  Roman 
Masters  of  the  world. 

These  are  facts  as  clear  as  the  noonday  sun.  And 
in  the  face  of  these  facts,  who  will  venture  to  come 
forward  and  say  that  the  Four  Gospels  are  not  true  ? 

4.  This  proposition  then  being  admitted,  that  the 
Gospels  are  true,  it  follows,  as  a  logical  inference, 


6  The  Emperor  Constantino  thus  speaks  in  his  oration  to  the  Bishops 
at  Nicaea :  "  The  Gospels  and  the  Apostolic  writings  and  the  oracles  of 
the  ancient  Prophets  clearly  teach  us  what  to  believe  of  God.  Let  us 
receive  the  solution  of  the  question  before  us  from  the  divinely  inspired 
words  (e«  TWJ>  6€oirvsv(TT<av  \6ycav}."  Theodoret,  1.  5. 

D    6 


GO  The  Old  Testament  in  Christ's  age 

that  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  did  indeed  perform  those 
wonderful  works,  which  He  is  related  in  the  Four 
Gospels  to  have  done ;  that  in  the  presence  of  great 
multitudes, — many  of  them  His  bitter  enemies, — He 
healed  the  sick,  cast  out  devils,  raised  the  dead ;  that 
He  knew  the  thoughts  and  searched  the  hearts  of 
men,  and  foretold  future  events ;  that  He  rose  again 
from  the  dead,  and  ascended  into  heaven :  in  a  word, 
that  He  displayed  power,  knowledge,  and  wisdom 
infinitely  greater  than  were  ever  shown  by  any  of  the 
children  of  men ;  and  that  He  wa&  indeed,  what  He 
claimed  to  be,  and  what  by  His  mighty  and  merciful 
works  He  proved  Himself  to  be, — the  Son  of  the 
Living  God,  the  Creator  and  Lord  of  all,  coequal, 
coeternal  with  the  Father 7. 

5.  This  point  being  clear,  let  us  also  bear  in  mind, — 
as  is  evident  from  external  testimony,: — that  the  Old 
Testament  existed  in  our  Lord's  age,  precisely  in 
the  same  condition  as  that  in  which  it  exists  now. 
This  has  been  already  proved  in  the  last  discourse. 

The  entire  Jewish  Nation  of  that  age  received  the 
whole  of  the  Old  Testament  not  as  the  Word  of  man, 
but  as  the  Word  of  God.  They  guarded  the  sacred 
Text  of  the  Old  Testament  with  the  most  scrupulous 
fidelity  and  unremitting  vigilance ;.  they  read  the 
Old  Testament  publicly,  Sabbath  after  Sabbath, 
throughout  the  year,  in  their  Synagogues  in  almost 
all  countries  of  the  world;  and,  by  reason  of  the 

*  John  viii.  58.;  x.  30. 


tlie  same  as  the  Old  Testament  in  our  age.          61 

multiplication  of  copies  of  the  Original  and  of  Trans- 
lations, that  were  requisite  for  this  general  public 
reading  of  the  Old  Testament  in  every  clime,  it  was 
not  possible  for  any  one  to  tamper  with  the  Text  of 
the  Old  Testament,  or  to  make  any  change  in  it, 
either  by  interpolation  or  mutilation. 

6.  Such  was  the  state  of  things  before  Christ's 
coming,  and  at  His  coming  into  the  world.     And 
ever  since  that  time,  the  Text  of  the  Old  Testament 
has  been  guarded  by  the  twofold,  independent,  anta- 
gonistic  custody  of  the  Jewish  Synagogue  and  of 
the  Christian  Church ;  so  that  we  may  confidently 
say,  that  the  Old  Testament  which  is  now  read  in 
the  Churches  of  England  is  the  same   as  the  Old 
Testament  which  was  read  in  the  Jewish  Synagogues 
of  our  Lord's  age.     The  Old  Testament  in  our  hands 
is  precisely  the  same  as  the  Old  Testament  which 
was  in  the  hands  of  Jesus  Christ. 

7.  Contemplate  therefore  Jesus  Christ  holding  in 
His  hands  the  Old  Testament.     How  did  He  treat 
it?     He  Who  proved  by  His  wonderful  deeds  and 
words  that  He  was  far  wiser  than  all  the  children  of 
men,  how  did  He  treat  the  Old  Testament?     Did 
He  treat  it  as-  "a  common  book?"     Did  He  say 
that  some  parts  of  it  are  inspired,  and  other  parts 
are  not  inspired  ?     Did  He  say  that  some  portions  of 
it  are  genuine,  and  other  portions  are  forged  ?     Did 
He  say  that  some  of  its-  contents  are  true,  and  that 
others  are  false  ? 

The  answer  to.  these  questions  is  easy.    The  Jews 


62     Jesus  Christ  acknowledged  all  the  Old  Testament 

guarded  the  Books  of  the  Old  Testament.  They 
read  these  Books  in  their  Synagogues  every  Sab- 
bath, and  they  venerated  all  those  Books, — they 
revered  every  part  of  those  Books,— as  true,  as 
genuine,  and  as  given  by  the  inspiration  of  God 8. 

To  quote  the  words  of  their  own  writer,  Josephus 9, 
it  was  "  a  principle  innate  in  every  Jew  to  regard 
those  Books  as  oracles  of  God,  and  to  cleave  to  them, 
yea,  and  to  die  gladly  for  them." 

Now,  how  did  our  Blessed  Lord  treat  this  their 
national  belief  in  the  Inspiration  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment ? 

Did  He  censure  the  Jews  for  ascribing  the  Old 
Testament  to  God  ?  Did  He  blame  them  for  accepting 
every  part  of  it  as  God's  Word?  If  the  Old  Testa- 
ment is  merely  the  word  of  man,  or  if  any  portion  of 
it  is  false,  if  any  part  of  it  is  a  forgery,  Christ  the 
Son  of  God  would  have  blamed  those  who  attributed 
it  to  God.  He  Who  was  so  zealous  of  His  Father's 
honour  that  He  drove  the  buyers  and  sellers  from 
the  outer  courts  of  His  Father's  House  *,  would  have 
rebuked  those  who  ascribed  the  erring  and  illusory 
words  of  fallible  and  sinful  man  to  the  God  of  all 
Wisdom  and  Truth.  The  Son  of  God  would  have 
resented  such  an  ascription;  He  would  have  de- 

8  It  is  altogether  a  false  notion,  that  the  Jews  of  our  Lord's  age  re- 
garded some  Books  of  the  Old  Testament  as  possessing  a  higher  degree 
of  inspiration  than  others.     The  theory  of  degrees  of  inspiration  is  a 
fiction  of  a  later  date.     Cp.  Dr.  W.  Lee  on  Inspiration,  Appendix  C. 

9  See  above,  p.  38. 

1  Matt.  xxi.  10.     Mark  xi.  15.     Luke  xix.  45.     John  ii.  15. 


to  be  given  ly  Inspiration  of  God.  63 

nounced  such,  an  imputation,  as  a  profane  outrage 
and  insult  against  His  awful  majesty.  He  would 
not  have  connived  at  it.  He  would  not  have  made 
Himself  an  accomplice  with  those  who  put  forth 
counterfeit  coin  in  the  Name  of  the  King  of  kings. 
He  would  not  have  abetted  those  who  stamped  that 
adulterated  coinage  with  the  Divine  image  and  super- 
scription, and  circulated  it  throughout  the  world. 

But  hear  what  the  Gospels  relate  of  Christ. 

Take,  for  instance,  the  chapter  to  which  we  have 
referred  at  the  beginning  of  this  discourse — the 
fourth  chapter  of  St.  Luke's  Gospel.  It  begins  with 
the  history  of  the  Temptation.  There  our  Lord  de- 
feats the  Tempter  with  the  sword  of  the  Spirit,  which  is 
the  Word  of  God 2.  Thrice  Satan  assails  Him,  and 
thrice  Christ  foils  him  with  this  weapon,  "It  is 
written3."  The  Devil  leaveth  Him.  Our  Lord 
works  miracles :  and  preaches  in  the  Synagogues  of 
Galilee.  He  comes  to  Nazareth.  As  His  custom 
was.  He  went  into  the  Synagogue  on  the  Sabbath  Day. 
He  there  stood  up  to  read.  In  those  Synagogues  the 
Books  of  the  Old  Testament  were  delivered  to  Him  as 
the  oracles  of  God,  and  He  received  them  as  such. 
"  To-day,"  He  said,  "  is  this  Scripture  fulfilled  in  your 
ears."  On  another  occasion  He  said,  It  is  easier  for 
heaven  and  earth  to  pass  than  one  tittle  of  the  Law 
to  fail*.  "Who  then  will  venture  to  say  that  the 
Pentateuch  is  blemished  with  error?  And  again, 

2  Eph.  vi.  14.  3  Luke  iv.  4.  8.  12. 

4  Luke  xvi.  17-     Cp.  Matt.  v.  18. 


61          Jesus  Christ  commands  all  men  to  receive 

He  declared  that  the  Scripture  cannot  be  broken*. 
Who  then  will  assert  that  it  is  weak  and  fragile  ? 
The  Son  of  God,  when  on  earth,  joined  with  the 
Jews,  Sabbath  after  Sabbath,  in  their  public  worship ; 
He  took  part  with  them  in  reading  and  expounding 
the  Scriptures  of  the  Old  Testament  as  the  inspired 
Word  of  God.  Thus  He  declared  that  their  belief  in 
its  Inspiration  is  true.  He  required  all  to  receive  it. 

8.  To  give,  if  possible,  greater  solemnity  to  this 
divine  declaration,  Christ  put  it  into  the  mouth  of  the 
Father  of  the  faithful,  Abraham,  the  Representative  of 
all  true  Israelites  ;  He  utters  it  by  the  voice  of  Abra- 
ham, removed  from  this  world,  and  dwelling  in  the 
blessed  society  of  the  spirits  of  the  departed ;  of  Moses, 
and  David,  and  Isaiah,  and  all  the  Prophets*.  In  the 
parable  of  Lazarus  and  the  Rich  Man,  in  which  our 
Lord  uplifts  the  veil  which  separates  this  world  from 
the  world  of  spirits,  Christ  reveals  to  us  Abraham, 
and  He  makes  Abraham  speak  that  remarkable 
speech,  They  have  Moses  and  the  Prophets,  let  them 
hear  them.  If  they  hear  not  Moses  and  the  Prophets, 
neither  ivill  they  be  persuaded  though  one  rose  from  the 
dead 6.  Awfully  solemn  words,  uttered  by  the  Lord 
of  Life,  speaking  by  Abraham,  the  Friend  of  God. 

They  hare  Moses  and  the  Prophets.  Who  therefore 
of  us,  that  entertains  a  blessed  hope  that  his  own 
spirit  may  be  carried  by  Angels  at  his  own  death 
into  Abraham's  bosom,  and  be  there  in  peace  with 

5  \verjvai,  John  x.  3&-  6  Luke  xvi.  29.  31. 


all  the  Old  Testament  as  the  inspired  Word  of  God.  65 

those  who  have  departed  in  the  true  faith  and  fear  of 
God,  will  venture  to  deny  that  the  Books  which  the 
Jews  regarded  as  the  Books  of  Moses  and  the 
Prophets,  are  not  what  they  believed  them  to  be, — 
true,  genuine,  and  divine  ? 

9.  Yet  more,  after  that  the  Son  of  God  Himself 
had  overcome  Death,  and  when,  on  the  evening  of 
His  glorious  Resurrection,  He  walked  with  the  two 
disciples    to   Emmaus,    and    when    afterwards   He 
appeared  to  His  assembled  Apostles,  He  appealed  to 
the  Books  of  the  Old  Testament  as   true,  and  as 
inspired  by   God;   Beginning   at  Moses  and  all  the 
Prophets,  He  expounded  to  them  in  all  the  Scriptures 
the  things  concerning  Himself.     And  He  said,  These 
are  the  words  which  I  spake  unto  you,  that  all  things 
must  be  fulfilled  which  were  written  in  the  Law  of  Moses, 
and  in  the  Prophets,  and  in  the  Psalms,  concerning  Me 8. 

Thus  then  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ  has 
pronounced  His  divine  verdict  in  behalf  of  the  Truth, 
the  Integrity,  and  Inspiration  of  the  Old  Testament. 
And  this  divine  verdict,  observe,  applies  to  every 
part  of  the  Old  Testament.  It  covers  the  whole ;  it 
applies  to  every  portion  of  all  those  Books  which  the 
Jews  received  as  Holy  Scripture. 

The  Son  of  God  delivers  to  us  the  whole  of  the 
Old  Testament,  and  commands  all  men  to  receive  the 
whole  as  the  Word  of  the  Living  God. 

10.  Accordingly  we  find  that  His  Holy  Apostles, 
being  taught  by  Him,  and  by  the  Holy  Spirit  which 

7  Luke  xxiv.  27.  8  Luke  xxiv.  44. 


66  Why  we  do  not  receive  the  Apocrypha 

He  sent  down  from  heaven,  declared  that  the  Old 
Testament  is  inspired  by  God.  Thus  St.  Peter 
speaks  not  only  the  opinion  of  his  own  Nation,  but 
proclaims  the  judgment  of  Christ,  when  he  says  of 
the  Hebrew  Prophets,  that  their  prophecy  came  not 
by  the  will  of  man,  but  that  they  spake  what  they 
spake,  being  borne  along  by  the  Holy  Ghost9;  and 
St.  Paul  reminds  'Timothy  that  the  Scriptures  which 
he  had  known  from  his  childhood  are  holy,  and  are 
the  *  writings  which  are  able  to  make  him  wise  unto 
salvation  through  faith  that  is  in  Christ  Jesus ; 
and  he  adds  that  every  Scripture — that  is,  every  part 
of  Scripture — is  given  by  inspiration  of  God,  or  as  the 
words  signify,  is  filled  with  the  breath  of  God 2. 

IV.  Here  we  may  observe,  in  passing,  that  we  have 
a  ready  answer  for  those  who  ask  of  us  a  reason,  why 
we,  of  the  Church  of  England,  cannot  agree  with  the 
Church  of  Rome  in  receiving  the  Apocrypha  as  in- 
spired. We  read  some  of  the  Apocrypha  as  useful  and 
wholesome  "for  example  of  life  and  instruction  of 
manners 3,"  but  we  receive  none  of  it  as  inspired. 
And  thus  we  mark  the  essential  difference  that  sub- 
sists between  all  human  writings, — however  excellent, 

3  2  Pet.  i.  21. 

1  TO.  Swdf^eva,  observe  the  definitive  Article,  2  Tim.  iii.  15. 

2  The  testimonies  of  the  Ancient  Fathers  of  the  Church,  ia  succes- 
sion after  the  Apostles,  witnesses  to  the  Inspiration  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment, as  well  as  the  Old,  may  be  seen  collected  by  Dr.  Routh,  Reliquiae 
Sacrse,  vol.  v.  pp.  336 — 353,  and  by  the  Rev.  B.  F.  Westcott,  Introduc- 
tion to  the  Study  of  the  Gospels,  pp.  383—418. 

3  Thirty- nine  Articles,  Art.  VI. 


as  part  of  the  inspired  Word  of  God.  67 

— and  the  Holy  Scriptures,  which  are  given  by  in- 
spiration of  God. 

But  the  Church  of  Eome,  at  the  Council  of  Trent 
in  the  sixteenth  century  (A.D.  1546),  passed  a  decree 
affirming  that  the  Apocryphal  Books  (such  as  Tobit, 
Judith,  the  Two  Books  of  Maccabees)  are  of  equal 
authority  with  the  Books  of  Moses  and  the  Prophets, 
and  the  rest  of  the  Old  Testament.  She  pronounced 
an  anathema,  or  curse,  on  all  who  do  not  receive  those 
Apocryphal  Books  as  of  equal  authority  with  them. 

What  do  we  say  to  this?  "We  say  that  those 
Apocryphal  Books  existed  before  the  Son  of  God 
came  down  from  heaven ;  and  that  they  were  never 
received  by  the  Ancient  Hebrew  Church  as  inspired, 
and  that  they  were  never  received  as  such  by  Jesus 
Christ.  "We  receive  the  Old  Testament, — neither 
more  nor  less, — which  was  received  by  Jesus  Christ. 
Therefore  the  words  of  Rome,  directed  against  us, 
are  words  spoken  against  Christ.  "We  care  not 
therefore  for  her  anathemas,  except  for  her  sake.  For 
we  know  from  St.  Paul,  that  no  man  speaking  by  the 
Spirit  of  God  calleth  Jesus  accursed4 ;  and  that  our 
love  for  Christ  is  to  be  shown  by  hearkening  to  His 
Word ;  and  that  Whosoever  loveth  not  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  says  the  same  Apostle,  let  him  be  anathema 5. 

Y.  Let  us  now  apply  these  things  to  ourselves  and 
to  the  circumstances  of  our  own  times. 

4  1  Cor.  xii.  3.  s  j  Cor.  xvi.  22. 


68  Appeal  to  the  authority  of  Christ, 

1.  Is  the  Old  Testament  true  ?  Is  it  from  heaven  ? 
Is  it  all  true  ?  Is  it  all  inspired  ?  These  questions 
are  now  current  among  us.  Books  are  put  into  our 
hands,  written,  it  would  seem,  by  shrewd  men,  dis- 
tinguished by  literary  attainments,  and  by  philo- 
sophic calmness  and  research,  who  appear  to  have 
inquired  with  candour  and  impartiality  into  the 
evidences  of  the  Truth  and  Inspiration  of  the  Old 
Testament,  and  not  to  have  been  convinced  that  it  is 
of  divine  origin.  We  hear  it  alleged  by  some,  that 
it  can  be  shown  from  recent  investigations  of  Geolo- 
gists, that  the  world  must  have  existed  before  the 
date  assigned  to  the  creation  by  the  Book  of  Genesis. 
We  hear  it  argued  by  others,  who  seem  to  be  pro- 
ficients in  the  study  of  Morals  and  Metaphysics,  that 
to  believe  all  mankind  to  have  been  involved  in  guilt 
by  the  sin  of  Adam  and  Eve,  is  hardly  consistent 
with  the  reverence  due  to  the  Justice  and  Be- 
nevolence of  God :  and  that  it  is  derogatory  to  His 
Wisdom  and  Foresight,  to  suppose  that  He  should 
have  destroyed  His  own  work  of  Creation  by  the 
general  devastation  of  the  Flood. 

What,  they  ask,  are  we  to  say  of  such  seemingly 
strange  and  incredible  narratives  as  those  which  are 
found  in  the  Old  Testament,  concerning  the  speaking 
of  Balaam's  ass,  and  the  coming  forth  of  the 
Prophet  Jonah  from  the  whale's  belly  after  three 
days  ?  What  are  we  to  think  of  these  things  ? 

Again,  it  is  said  by  some  persons  of  high  reputa- 
tion among  us,  reviving  the  sceptical  objections  of 


in  answer  to  Sceptical  objections.  69 

Porphyry6  which  were  exploded  by  S.  Jerome7 
fourteen  hundred  years  ago,  that  the  prophecies  of 
Daniel 8  bear  marks  of  having  been  composed  after 
the  events  which  they  profess  to  foretell, — and,  in 
fact,  are  no  prophecies  at  all. 

2.  To  those  who  may  make  these,  and  all  such 
allegations  as  these,  impugning  the  Truth,  Genuine- 
ness, or  Inspiration  of  the  Old  Testament,  we 
would  put  this  question, — "Whom  shall  we  believe, — 
you,  or  JESUS  CHRIST  ? 

You  allege,  that  there  are  certain  things  in  the 
Old  Testament,  which  you  cannot  reconcile  with  the 
results  of  your  physical  researches,  or  with  your 
moral  and  metaphysical  theories ;  and  you  therefore 
reject  the  Old  Testament,  and  require  us  to  surrender 
it  in  deference  to  your  authority. 

But  in  this  great  question — in  this  most  mo- 
mentous question  of  eternal  life  or  eternal  death — we 
ask  again,  Whom  shall  we  believe,  ivhom  shall  we 
follow  ?  You,  or  JESUS  CHRIST  ?  Shall  we  imagine 
that  you,  the  creatures  of  a  day,  have  a  clearer 
insight  into  the  Laws  of  Nature,  than  He  who  made 
the  worlds 9,  and  who  controlled  the  Laws  of  Nature 
by  the  utterance  of  a  single  word  ?  Shall  we  suppose 


6  And  of  some  Jews  since  our  Lord's  age,  who  perceive  that  the 
Messiah   must  be   come,   if  Daniel  is   a   Prophet.      See  Hottinger, 
Thesaur.  Philol.  p.  504. 

7  See  S.  Jerome,  Prsefat.  in  Danielem,  torn.  iii.  p.  1071 ,  ed.  Benedict. 
Paris,  1704. 

8  "  Essays  and  Reviews,"  pp.  G9.  76. 

9  John  i.  3.     Heb.  i.  2. 


70  Appeal  from  Sceptics  to  Christ. 

that  you  have  more  knowledge  of  the  history  and 
structure  of  the  Universe,  than  He  who  swayed  the 
Elements,  and  walked  on  the  Sea,  and  calmed  the 
Storm,  and  made  the  Earth  give  up  her  dead,  and 
mounted  on  the  clouds  of  Heaven  ?  Shall  we  listen 
to  those  metaphysical  theorists,  who  would  have  us 
give  up  the  Old  Testament,  which  was  received  as  a 
Divine  Book  by  Him  who  read  the  heart,  and  knew 
what  was  in  man,  and  foretold  things  to  come  ? 
Shall  we  give  credence  to  those  Moralists,  who  reject 
the  Old  Testament,  which  was  acknowledged  to  be 
God's  Word  by  that  Divine  Teacher  of  Moral  Yirtue 
who  preached  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount ;  and  whose 
Religion,  wherever  it  has  been  received,  has  emanci- 
pated the  Slave,  and  beautified  Marriage,  and  has 
given  a  grace  and  dignity  to  Woman,  which  she  never 
before  possessed  since  she  was  Eve  in  Paradise,  and 
has  opened  a  pure  well-spring  of  blessing  and  of  joy 
in  every  Christian  family,  and  prepares  its  members, 
by  the  discipline  of  love  on  earth,  for  the  life  of 
angels  in  heaven  ? 

In  what  appertains  to  the  Word  of  God  let  us 
not  pretend  to  be  wiser  than  the  Son  of  God.  Let 
us  not  reject  a  single  iota  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, with  frail  and  fallible  children  of  men,  but 
reverently  receive  the  whole  with  the  Son  of 
God. 

He  has  delivered  to  us  the  Old  Testament :  He 
who  is  now  enthroned  in  glory,  commands  us  to 
receive  it.  Alas !  for  those  who  refuse  Him  that 


Moral  uses  of  difficulties  in  Scripture.  71 

speaketh  from  heaven l.  For  He  lias  warned  us  that 
he  that  believeth  and  is  baptized  shall  be  saved,  and 
he  who  believeth  not  shall  be  damned*.  Inexpressi- 
bly awful  words,  uttered  by  the  Judge  of  all,  who 
hath  the  Keys  of  Hell  and  Death  3.  He  will  one  day 
be  revealed  in  flaming  fire  taking  vengeance  on  them 
that  obey  not  the  Gospel  *.  And  then  it  will  be  seen 
by  all,  and  it  will  be  felt  by  the  children  of  dark- 
ness, that  while  He  is  infinite  in  mercy  to  all  who 
believe  and  obey  Him,  yet  to  all  who  do  not  believe 
Him,  our  God  is  a  consuming  fire 5. 

3.  Looking,  then,  to  Christ  holding  the  New  Tes- 
tament in  His  hands,  we  are  not  staggered  by  any 
difficulties  in  it.     We  expect  to  find  some  difficulties 
in  a  Revelation  from  a  Being  like  God  to  such  a 
creature  as  man.     We  even   rejoice  in   these  diffi- 
culties.     We   do   not   fear    them   as   enemies,   but 
welcome  them  as  allies,  and  embrace  them  as  friends ; 
for  they  are  occasions  of  our  growth  in  grace.     They 
exercise  our  humility.  They  are  the  leaves  and  flowers, 
of  which  our  heavenly  crown  is  woven.    They  remind 
us  of  our  own  weakness  and  ignorance,  and  of  the 
power  and  wisdom  of  Christ.     They  send  us  to  Him, 
and  to  the  Gospel.     They  make  us  to  go  and  sit  down 
as  little  children  at  the  feet  of  Jesus  Christ. 

4.  Thus,  for  instance,  the  history  of  Balaam.     It 
may  be  a  difficulty  to  some.     But  it  will  remind 


1  Heb.  xii.  2ft.  2  Mark  xiv.  16.  3  Rev.  i.  18. 

4  2  Thess.  i.  7.  5  Heb.  xii.  29. 


72     History  of  Balaam ;  Jonah  in  the  whale's 

every  Christian  reader,  who  really  loves  his  Saviour, 
that  the  Apostle  of  Christ,  St.  Peter,  who  was 
enabled  by  Christ  to  heal  the  sick,  and  raise  the 
dead,  and  to  speak  with  tongues 6,  and  to  discern  the 
spirits,  as  in  the  case  of  Ananias 7,  and  to  foretell  the 
future,  has  referred  to  the  history  of  Balaam  in  the 
second  chapter  of  his  second  Epistle.  The  Apostle 
St.  Peter  accepts  the  history  of  Balaam,  and  does 
not  rationalize  it  away,  but  explains  its  inner 
meaning,  and  reminds  us  how  by  that  signal  ex- 
ample, God  showed,  that  even  the  most  despised  of 
the  brute  creatures  themselves  are  wiser  and  more 
clear-sighted  than  a  disobedient  Prophet,  or  a  sceptical 
Philosopher.  The  dumb  ass  speaking  with  man's 
voice,  says  the  Apostle,  forbad  the  madness  of  the 
Prophet9. 

5.  Thus  again  as  to  the  history  of  Jonah  in  the 
whale's  belly.  It  may  be  a  difficulty  with  some ;  but 
in  reading  that  history  every  Christian  student,  who 
believes  and  adores  his  Blessed  Redeemer,  will  recol- 
lect, that  Jesus  Christ  has  adopted  and  authenticated 
that  history,  and  has  applied  and  appropriated  it  to 
Himself.  As  Jonas  was  three  days  and  three  nights  in 
the  whale's  belly,  so  (says  Christ)  shall  the  Son  of  Man 
be  three  days  and  three  nights  in  the  heart  of  the  earth  °. 
The  Christian  reader  will  observe,  that  Christ's 
reference  to  the  history  of  Jonah  is  interwoven  with 
Christ's  prophecy  concerning  Himself ;  and  he  will 

6  Acts  ii.  4 ;  iii.  7;  ix.  34.  40.  7  Acts  v.  3. 

8  2  Pet.  ii.  16.  9  Matt.  xii.  40. 


Book  of  Daniel.  73 

remember  that  Christ's  word  was  proved  to  be  true 
by  the  fulfilment  of  that  prophecy.  Christ  urns 
three  days  and  three  nights  in  the  heart  of  the 
earth ;  and  He  then  raised  Himself.  Thus  Christ's 
authorization  of  Jonah's  history  is  verified  by  the 
fulfilment  of  Christ's  prophecy  concerning  Himself, 
of  Whom  Jonah  was  a  type.  Let  us  not  read 
the  history  of  Jonah  by  the  feeble  glimmerings 
of  a  purblind  sciolism,  but  by  the  clear  light  of 
Christ's  glorious  Gospel,  and  we  shall  see  the  proof 
of  its  truth  in  His  burial  and  resurrection.  Thus 
these  Scriptural  difficulties  are  dissolved  by  a  spiritual 
alchymy  in  the  crucible  of  faith. 

6.  Once  more :  the  unbeliever  may  allege  that 
the  prophecies  of  Daniel  correspond  so  minutely 
with  the  events  that  they  profess  to  predict  that 
they  must  be  posterior  to  those  events.  A  strange 
allegation  !  As  if  there  were  any  past  or  future  with 
God !  As  if  He,  who  spake  by  the  Prophets,  does 
not  see  all  things  present  at  once.  It  is  enough  for 
us  to  know  that  the  Book  of  Daniel,  as  it  is  in  our 
hands  now,  was  in  the  hands  of  the  Jewish  nation  of 
our  Lord's  age  ;  and  was  received  by  them  as 
inspired  *;  and  that  what  they  received  as  inspired 
was  also  received  as  such  by  Jesus  Christ.  Indeed 

1  See  the  remarkable  testimony  of  the  Jewish  historian  Josephus, 
Antiquities,  book  x.  chapters  10 — 12.  See  also  Maimonides,  More 
Nevochim,  ii.  45,  who  says,  "  Daniel,  the  Psalms,  &c.,  are  all  written 
by  the  Holy  Spirit."  How  different  is  this  language,  and  that  of 
Christ,  from  the  language  of  "  Essays  and  Reviews,"  where  it  is  said 
(p.  77)  that  "the  current  error,"  as  to  the  Book  of  Daniel,  "is  dis- 
creditable "  to  divines. 

E 


74  Christians  enjoy  greater  advantages  than  the  Hebrews, 
even  with  regard  to  the  Hebrew  Scriptures. 

He  expressly  owns  Daniel  as  a  prophet.  "  When  ye 
shall  see  the  abomination  of  desolation,  spoken  of  by 
Daniel  the  Prophet 2." — Daniel  the  Prophet  may  be 
no  Prophet  to  the  unbeliever;  the  book  of  Daniel 
may  be  a  forgery  to  the  sceptic  of  the  nineteenth 
century;  but  to  us,  my  Christian  friends,  let  him 
be  Daniel  the  Prophet  ;  for  he  was  Daniel  the 
Prophet  to  his  own  nation,  he  was  Daniel  the 
Prophet  to  Jesus  Christ. 

VI.  Let  us  here  acknowledge  our  own  spiritual 
privileges,  and  our  cause  for  thankfulness  to  God. 
The  Jews  of  old  were  greatly  favoured  by  Him,  but 
how  much  more  favoured  are  we !  "  What  advan- 
tage hath  the  Jew  ?"  asks  the  Apostle.  "  Much  every 
way,"  he  replies,  "chiefly  because  unto  them  were 
committed  the  oracles  of  God."  And  may  we  not 
much  more  say,  "What  advantage  hath  the  Chris- 
tian  ?  Much  every  way ;"  even  more  than  the  Jew. 
For  we  have  a  stronger  assurance  of  the  Divine 
Inspiration  of  the  Hebrew  Scriptures  than  even  the 
Hebrews  themselves  had.  They  received  the  Old 
Testament  as  inspired,  on  the  testimony  of  their  fore- 
fathers, but  it  is  delivered  to  us,  as  inspired,  by 
Jesus  Christ  Himself.  Here  is  an  inexpressible  com- 
fort ;  here  indeed  is  a  joyful  assurance,  in  days  like 
these,  of  rebuke  and  blasphemy.  Here  we  have  hope 
and  peace  in  the  sorrows  of  life,  and  in  the  hour  of 
death.  Our  belief  in  the  Truth  and  Inspiration  of 

2  Matt.  xxiv.  15.    Mark  xiii.  14.     Dan.  ix.  27;  xii.  11. 


Use  of  difficulties  in  Holy  Scripture.  75 

the  Old  Testament,  yes,  of  the  ivhole  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, rests  on  a  foundation  that  can  never  be  shaken. 
It  rests  on  the  testimony  of  Christ.  Therefore  we 
may  dwell  safely,  and  defy  the  storms  raging  around 
us.  Let  the  rain  descend ;  let  the  floods  of  Unbe- 
lief come,  and  the  winds  of  false  Doctrine  blow,  and 
beat  upon  our  house ;  it  will  not  fall,  for  it  is  built 
upon  a  Rock 3.  It  is  built  upon  the  Rock  of  Ages 4; 
it  is  built  upon  Jesus  Christ. 

VII.  Finally,  may  we  not  say,  that  the  written 
Word  of  God  is  like  the  Incarnate  Word  Himself, — 
set  for  the  fall,  and  also  for  the  rising  of  many  in  Israel, 
and  for  a  sign  that  shall  be  spoken  against 5  ? 

Holy  Scripture  is  set  for  our  moral  probation,  which 
supposes  trial  and  difficulty.  It  exhibits  us  to  men 
and  angels  as  we  are.  It  displays  what  manner  of 
spirit  we  are  of6.  It  proves,  whether  we  have  those 
moral  habits  and  tempers  of  mind,  and  those  disposi- 
tions of  meekness  and  docility,  and  readiness  to  weigh 
evidence  with  candour  and  fairness,  without  which 
no  man  is  fit  for  the  kingdom  of  God7. 

Holy  Scripture  is  set  for  our  fall, — if,  with  a  partial 
eye  to  difficulties  in  single  texts  taken  by  themselves, 
and  without  due  regard  to  the  general  scope  of  the 
whole,  and  to  the  evidence  of  its  Truth  and  Inspira- 
tion, we  take  occasion  to  cavil  at  its  contents,  and 
deny  its  divine  origin  and  authority. 

But,  on  the  other  hand,  thanks  be  to  God,  it  is 

3  Matt.  vii.  24,  25.  4  Isa.  xxvi.  4.  5  Luke  ii.  34. 

6  Luke  ix.  55.  '  Luke  ix.  62. 

E   2 


76  Those  difficulties  will  be  cleared  away  from  the  eyes  of 
those  who  use  them  aright. 

also  set  for  our  rising, — for  our  rising  to  heavenly 
glory, — if  we  use  those  difficulties  aright ;  and  are 
led  thereby  to  acknowledge  the  weakness  of  our  own 
faculties  in  their  present  state,  and  our  consequent 
need  of  divine  grace ;  and  to  exercise  humility,  and 
to  thank  God  for  what  is  perfectly  clear  in  Holy 
Scripture ;  and  to  look  forward  with  faith  and  hope 
to  that  blessed  time,  when  all  those  difficulties  will  be 
dispersed,  and  the  film  and  mist,  which  now  cloud 
our  spiritual  vision,  will  be  purged  away ;  and  we 
shall  no  longer  see,  as  now,  through  a  glass  darkly, 
but  shall  see  face  to  face,  and  know  even  as  we  are 
known 8, 

•  1  Cor.  xiii.  12. 


LECTURE  IV. 


LUKE  xi.  33. 

No  man,  when  he  hath  lighted,  a  candle,  putteth  it  in  a  secret 
place,  neither  under  a  bushel,  but  on  a  candlestick,  that  they  which 
come  in  may  see  the  light 1. 

WE  have  been   engaged  in  considering,   what  the 

reasons  are  for  belief  in  the  Inspiration  of  the  Old 

Testament. 

I.  The  subject  now  proposed  for  examination  is ; — 
On  what  grounds  do  we  receive  the  New  Testament 

as  the  Inspired  Word  of  God  ? 

1.  God  is  One,  and  Everlasting ;  and  if  the  New 
Testament  is  from  Him,  we  may  reasonably  antici- 
pate, that  the  method  employed  by  Him  for  assuring 
us  of  the   Inspiration  of  the  New  Testament,  will, 
as  far  as  the  difference  of  circumstances  allows,  be 
similar  to  that  plan  by  which  He  has  assured  us  of 
the  Inspiration  of  the  Old. 

2.  When  we  were  asked  for  the  reasons  of  our 
belief  in  the  Inspiration  of  the  Old  Testament,  our 
answer  was, — 

1  Cp.  Matt.  v.  15.     Mark  iv.  21.     Luke  viii.  16. 
E   3 


78  What  are  the  grounds  for  belief 

First,  we  receive  the  Old  Testament  on  the  autho- 
rity of  God  Himself,  speaking  by  the  universal  con- 
sent and  practice  of  the  Hebrew  Nation,  to  which,  as 
the  Apostle  says,  were  committed  the  Oracles  of  God 2. 

Next  we  proceeded  to  show,  that  when  the  Son  of 
God  Himself  came  down  from  heaven,  and  dwelt 
among  us,  He  acknowledged  the  truth  of  that 
belief  in  the  Inspiration  of  the  Old  Testament.  Our 
Blessed  Lord  declared  His  own  concurrence  in,  and 
pronounced  His  divine  approval  of,  this  consent  and 
practice  of  the  Hebrew  Nation,  receiving  all  the 
Books  of  the  Old  Testament,  as  set  apart  from  all 
other  Yolumes  then  existing  in  the  world,  and  as 
holy  and  divine  Writings,  dictated  by  the  Spirit  of 
God. 

Therefore  we  affirm,  that  the  Old  Testament  comes 
to  us  ministerially  and  instrumentally  through  the 
ancient  Jewish  Church ;  but  it  comes  to  us  effectually 
and  virtually  from  the  hands  of  JESUS  CHRIST. 

3.  Our  present  assertion  is,  that  Almighty  God 
has  employed  similar  means  for  assuring  us  of  the 
Inspiration  of  the  New  Testament. 

We  affirm  that  the  New  Testament  comes  to  us, — 
through  the  instrumentality  of  the  Christian  Church, 
— its  divinely  appointed  Guardian  and  Keeper, — but 
it  comes  to  us  principally  and  originally  from  JESUS 
CHRIST. 

We  look  up  to  heaven  with  the  eye  of  Faith,  and 

2  Rom.  iii.  1,  2. 


in  tie  Inspiration  of  the  New  Testament  ?         79 

we  see  JESUS  CHRIST,  the  Incarnate  WORD,  enthroned 
there  in  His  glorious  Majesty,  and  holding  in  His 
hands  the  Old  and  New  Testaments,  and  delivering 
to  us  both  Testaments,  as  the  "Word  of  the  Living 
God. 

4.  In  order  to  show  the  soundness  of  this  belief, 
we  must  revert  to  a  proposition  already  proved  in  a 
previous  discourse,  namely,  that  the  Four  Gospels  are 
true 3. 

That  the  Four  Gospels  are  true,  has  been  shown 
from  the  facts,  that  the  Gospels  were  publicly 
read  in  Christian  Churches  in  primitive  times  ;  and 
that  they  who  read  them  could  not  have  been 
deceived  as  to  their  veracity ;  and  that  they  died 
gladly  in  defence  of  their  truth  :  and  that  eventually 
the  Roman  Empire,  which  had  at  first  persecuted 
the  Christians  for  belief  in  the  Gospels,  was  itself 
converted  to  Christianity,  and  received  the  Gospels 
as  true. 

II.  The  truth  of  the  Gospels  being  established,  it 
follows  that  the  Son  of  God  uttered  those  sayings 
which  He  is  related  in  the  Gospels  to  have  spoken. 

1.  Among  the  declarations  of  Christ  recorded  in 
the  Gospels,  we  find  the  following  :  Upon  this  Rock 
I  will  build  My  Churchy  and  the  gates  of  hell  shall  not 
prevail  against  it  *.  Lo,  I  am  with  you  alway,  even 
unto  the  end  of  the  world 5.  Christ  promised  to  send 
the  Holy  Spirit  to  His  disciples,  to  lead  them  into  all 

See  above,  pp.  56 — 59.          *  Matt.  xvi.  18.         5  Matt,  xxviii.  20. 
E   4 


SO    Our  Lord  promised  to  give  supernatural  Inspiration 
to  His  disciples  ; 

truth,  and  to  abide  ivith  them  for  ever.  These  things 
have  I  spoken  unto  you,  being  yet  present  with  you  ;  but 
the  Comforter,  which  is  the  Holy  Ghost,  whom  the 
Father  will  send  in  My  name,  He  shall  teach  you  all 
things,  and  bring  all  things  to  your  remembrance,  what- 
soever I  have  said  unto  you  6.  And,  When  He,  the 
Spirit  of  Truth,  is  come,  He  will  guide  you  into  all  truth : 
for  He  shall  not  speak  of  Himself;  but  whatsoever  He 
shall  hear,  that  shall  He  speak,  and  He  will  show  you 
things  to  come 7.  /  will  pray  the  Father,  and  He  will 
give  you  another  Comforter,  that  He  may  abide  with  you 
for  ever,  even  the  Spirit  of  Truth 8.  And  again,  I  will 
give  you  a  mouth  and  wisdom,  which  all  your  adversaries 
shall  not  be  able  to  gainsay  nor  resist 9. 

The  fulfilment  of  these  promises  of  Christ  is 
avouched  in  the  history  of  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles  *, 
the  truth  of  which  is  proved  by  its  reception  and 
public  reading  in  the  primitive^Churches  of  Christen- 
dom. 

2.  Hence  we  may  conclude,  that  Christ  enabled  His 
Apostles  and  Evangelists  to  reveal  supernatural  mys- 
teries; and  that  the  words  which  they  have  delivered  to 
the  Church  for  her  perpetual  instruction  in  divine 
truth,  and  which  have  been  read  as  such  in  her 
public  assemblies  from  their  age  until  now,  are  not 
words  which  man's  wisdom  teacheth,  but  which  the 
Holy  Ghost  teacheth". 

6  John  xiv.  25,  2G.  7  John  xvi.  13. 

8  John  xiv.  16.  9  Luke  xxi.  15. 

1  Acts  ii.  4.  2  1  Cor.  ii.  13. 


and  He  instituted  the  Church  as  a  Witness  of  the     81 
Inspiration  of  the  Scriptures  written  by  them. 

3.  Next,  we  may  deduce  from  Christ's  words  just 
rehearsed,  this  inference — that  He  has  instituted  in 
the  world  a  visible  Society,  called  His  Church,  to 
which  He  has  promised  His  perpetual  presence  and 
His  Spirit,  to  lead  it  into  all  truth,  and  to  abide  with 
it  unto  the  end. 

Accordingly,  we  find  that  the  Apostle  St.  Paul, 
having  regard  to  Christ's  promise  of  His  continual 
presence  in  His  Church,  calls  her  His  Body ;  and 
meditating  on  His  love  to  His  Church,  and  her  dear- 
ness  to  Him,  he  speaks  of  her  as  united  to  Christ  in 
spiritual  wedlock3;  and  forasmuch  as  she  is  quick- 
ened, informed,  and  taught  by  Christ's  Spirit  dwell- 
ing in  her,  and  publishing  by  her,  as  by  a  living 
organ,  His  will  and  word,  the  Apostle  says,  that  she 
is  the  Church  of  the  Living  God,  the  Pillar  and  Ground 
of  the  Truth  4. 

We  cannot  say  with  some  persons,  that  we  receive 
the  Scriptures  as  divine  because  we  know  who  their 
writers  were,  and  that  they  were  good  men  full  of 
the  Holy  Grhost,  and  that  therefore  whatever  they 
wrote  must  be  inspired  of  God. 

The  truth  is,  we  do  not  know,  by  whom  some  of 
the  Books  of  Scripture  were  written 5 ;  and  this 

3  Eph.  v.  23—32.  4  1  Tim.  iii.  15. 

5  E.  g.  the  Books  of  Job,  Judges,  and  others  in  the  Old  Testament. 
The  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  in  the  New  Testament  was,  in  all  proba- 
bility, written  by  St.  Paul;  but  its  inspiration  is  not  only  probable, 
but  certain:  because  it  is  received,  as  inspired,  by  the  Universal  Church 
of  God. 

Besides,  the  authorship  of  some  smaller  portions  of  the  Gospels  may 

E    5 


82        Analogy  in  tlie  means  used  by  Almighty  God 

uncertainty  seems  to  have  been  intended  to  serve  a 
providential  purpose,  in  order  that  we  might  not 
attribute  the  authority  of  the  Scriptures  to  the  men 
by  whose  instrumentality  they  were  written,  but  to 
God  who  wrote  the  Scriptures  by  their  hands. 

We  receive  the  Books  of  Holy  Scripture  on  the 
testimony  of  Christ,  speaking  in  His  Church. 

III.  One  of  the  principal  offices  of  the  Church  of 
God,  ever  since  Scripture  was  written,  has  been  to 
guard  Scripture,  and  to  read  it  openly  and  habitually 
to  the  people,  and  to  authenticate  it  as  God's  Word0. 

1.  We  find,  that  as  soon  as  the  first  Books  of 
Scripture — namely,  the  Books  of  Moses — were  written, 
they  were  deposited  by  God's  command  for  safe 
custody,  near  the  Ark,  in  the  Holy  of  Holies ;  and 
that  they  were  ordered  to  be  read  publicly  at  the 
Feast  of  Tabernacles  as  His  Holy  Word  7. 

These  commands  of  God  were  the  first  beginnings 
of  a  great  and  comprehensive  Plan  for  the  safe 
preservation  of  the  Holy  Scriptures,  and  for  their 
publication  to  the  world,  and  for  the  attestation  of 
their  divine  origin  and  authority. 

The  ancient  Hebrew  Church  read  the  Old  Testa- 
ment in  the  Synagogues,  Sabbath  after  Sabbath,  year 
after  year,  and  century  after  century,  in  all  parts  of 


be  matter  of  doubt :  and  this  very  circumstance  brings  out  more  clearly 
the  grounds  on  which  our  belief  in  their  Inspiration  rests.  The  author 
may  here  be  allowed  to  refer  to  his  notes  on  Mark  xvi.  9 — 20,  and  on 
John  vii.  53;  viii.  I  — 11. 

6  Cp.  Hooker,  V.  xxii.  2.  7  See  above,  pp.  43—45. 


for  preserving  and  authenticating  loth  Testaments.   83 

the  world.   It  read  the  Old  Testament  as  inspired  by 
God. 

When  the  Son  of  God  Himself  came  down  from 
heaven,  He  took  part,  as  we  have  already  seen  8,  in 
this  public  reading  of  the  Old  Testament  in  the 
Hebrew  Synagogues;  He  acknowledged  the  Old 
Testament,  which  was  there  read,  to  be  what  the 
ancient  Hebrew  Church  believed  and  testified  it  to 
be, — the  unerring  Word  of  God. 

2.  This  providential  arrangement  for  the  guardian- 
ship and  authentication  of  God's  Word,  by  means  of 
public  Reading,  was  maintained  and  enlarged,  from 
the  time  of  the  writing  of  the  first  Books  of  the  Old 
Testament  until   Christ's   First  Advent ;    and   ever 
since  that  time  it  has  been  growing  and  expanding 
itself  throughout  the  world  by  the  planting  and  pro- 
pagation of  Christian  Churches  in  distant  lands ;  and 
it  will  continue  to  extend  itself  by  the  preaching  of 
the  Gospel  as  a  witness  unto  all  Nations  even  unto  the 
end9,  when  Christ  will   come   again  to  judge   the 
World. 

3.  This  divinely-instituted  plan  of  public  Read- 
ing comprehends  within  its  range  the  New  Testament, 
as  well  as  the  Old ;  and  places  the  New  Testament  on 
the  same  footing  with  the  Old. 

This  will  appear  from  the  history  of  the  publica- 
tion and  preservation  of  the  New  Testament. 

4.  One  of  the  most  remarkable  portions  of  the 

8  See  above  pp.  61—65.        ,  9  Matt.  xxiv.  14. 

E    6 


84     Purposes  served  by  tJie  primitive  public  Heading 

New  Testament  in  this  particular  respect,  is  that 
which  we  have  been  reading  in  the  Church  during 
the  last  week,  namely,  the  First  and  Second  Epistles 
of  St.  Paul  to  the  Church  of  Thessalonica. 

These  two  Epistles  were  the  first  written  of  all 
St.  Paul's  Epistles,  and  were  among  the  first  written 
of  all  the  Books  of  the  New  Testament. 

It  is  observable,  that  in  the  first  of  these  two 
Epistles  to  the  Thessalonians,  St.  Paul  gives  a  solemn 
injunction,  as  follows  :  /  charge,  or  adjure  you,  by  the 
Lord,  that  this  Epistle  be  read  unto  all  the  holy  bre- 
thren 10.  That  Epistle  was  to  be  read  openly  in  the 
Church.  And  in  another  Epistle, — that  to  the  Co- 
lossians, — St  Paul  takes  for  granted  that  it  would  be 
read  in  the  Church.  He  thus  speaks :  When  this 
Epistle  is  read  among  you,  cause  that  it  be  read  also 
in  the  Church  of  the  Laodiceans  '. 

What  St.  Paul  required  to  be  done  to  his  own 
Epistles,  was  done  to  all  the  Books  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment. They  were  received  and  read  openly  and 
habitually  on  every  Lord's  Day,  year  after  year  and 
century  after  century,  in  Christian  Churches,  from 
primitive  times 2. 

5.  And  with  what  feelings  were  they  received  and 
read  ?  Were  they  regarded  as  common  writings  ? 
No  :  certainly  not.  They  were  received  and  read  as 
the  Word  of  God.  They  were  reverently  received 
as  such ;  they  were  received  and  read  as  Holy  Scrip- 

10  1  Thess.  v.  27.          '  Col.  iv.  16.          2  See  above,  pp.  82,  83. 


of  the  Books  of  the  New  Testament.  85 

ture3;  they  were  read  simultaneously  with  the  Books 
of  the  Old  Testament.  They  were  read  as  equally 
inspired  with  the  Books  of  Moses  and  the  Prophets  4, 
which  had  been  received  by  Jesus  Christ  Himself,  as 
the  "Word  of  the  Living  Grod. 

Thus  the  Church  of  Grod  bore  witness  to  them, 
and  testified  that  they  are  the  Oracles  of  God  5. 

6.  Let  us  also  consider  this.  The  writers  of  the 
New  Testament  lay  claim  to  Inspiration.  Thus  St. 
Paul  says  to  the  Corinthians,  I  trow  6  that  I  have  the 
Spirit  of  God  7.  And,  We  speak  not  in  words  ivhich 
man's  wisdom  teacheth,  but  which  the  Holy  Ghost 
teacheth  8.  And  he  appeals  to  his  miracles  wrought 
among  them  in  proof  of  his  Inspiration.  Truly  tJie 
signs  of  an  Apostle  were  wrought  among  you  in  all 
patience,  in  signs,  and  wonders,  and  mighty  deeds  9. 

The  Epistles  of  St.  Paul,  in  which  these  words 
occur,  contain  severe  reprehensions  of  those  to  whom 
these  Epistles  were  sent.  He  reproves  them  as  carnal, 
as  babes  in  Christ,  and  yet  puffed  up  \  Those  persons 
were  proud  of  their  intellectual  and  spiritual  gifts; 


8  It  is  remarkable  that  the  word  r/>o0^,  which  simply  means  writing, 
is  reserved  and  appropriated  in  the  New  Testament  (where  it  occurs 
fifty  times)  to  the  sacred  writings,  i.e.  to  the  Holy  Scriptures  ;  and 
marks  the  separation  of  the  Scriptures  from  all  "common  books," 
indeed,  from  all  other  writings  in  the  world. 

4  See  Bingham,  Antiquities,  XIV.  ch.  iii. 

5  Cp.  Hooker,  V.  xxii.  2  :  "  The  reading  of  the  Word  of  God  in  open 
audience  is  the  plainest  evidence  we  have  of  the  Church's  assent  and 
acknowledgment  that  it  is  His  Word." 

6  SOKO).  7  1  Cor.  vii.  40. 
8  1  Cor.  ii.  13.  9  2  Cor.  xii.  12. 
1   I  Cor.  iii.  1—  3;  v.  2. 


86     Some  smaller  portions  of  the  New  Testament  were 
not  received  at  once  by  all  Churches. 

and  the  reception  of  those  Epistles  involved  a  censure 
on  themselves ;  and  they  would  never  have  received 
those  Epistles  as  inspired,  unless  they  had  been  co'n- 
vinced,  that  the  claims  of  the  writer  to  Inspiration 
were  true. 

The  reception  of  all  the  Books  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment as  of  equally  divine  authority,  is  a  proof  of 
their  Inspiration. 

IY.  But  it  may  be  asked,  — 

Are  there  not  some  portions  of  the  New  Testament 
which  were  not  at  first  received  universally  as  the 
inspired  Word  of  God  ? 

Yes,  certainly  there  are. 

The  whole  primitive  Church  received  the  Four 
Gospels,  and  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  the  Thirteen 
Epistles  which  bear  the  name  of  St.  Paul,  and  the 
First  Epistle  of  St.  Peter  and  of  St.  John.  These 
Books  were  universally  received  at  once  by  all 
Christendom. 

But  some  few  minor  parts  of  the  New  Testament 
there  are,  concerning  which  some  particular  Churches 
at  first  suspended  their  judgment. 

Such,  for  instance,  was  the  Second  Epistle  of  St. 
Peter. 

Some  Churches  waited  for  a  time,  and  did  not 
pronounce  judgment  upon  that  Epistle,  till  they  were 
fully  persuaded  of  its  genuineness  and  inspiration. 
But,  after  careful  examination,  they  received  it ;  and 
eventually  all  Churches  in  Christendom  received  all 
the  Books  of  the  New  Testament  as  the  Word  of  God. 


Inferences  to  be  derived  from  the  partial  non-reception ,  87 
and  subsequent  universal  reception,  of  those  portions. 

This  very  fact,  that  some  of  the  Books  of  the  New 
Testament  were  not  received  at  first,  is  of  great 
value.  For  it  proves  the  scrupulous  care,  with  which 
those  Books  were  examined,  before  they  were  received 
by  the  Church ;  and  the  fact  also,  that  those  Books, 
concerning  which  some  Churches  doubted  at  first, 
were  at  length  received  by  all  Churches,  proves  that 
they  were  rightly  received. 

V.  To  this  testimony  of  the  Catholic  Church  of 
God,  receiving  and  reading  the  whole  of  the  New 
Testament,  we  appeal  in  support  of  our  own  belief 
that  all  and  every  part  of  it  is  the  Word  of  God. 

1.  Let  us  here  obviate  an  objection. 

Let  no  one  imagine,  that  in  speaking  of  the  Catholic 
Church  we  mean  the  Church  of  Home ;  or  that  in 
appealing  to  the  testimony  of  the  Church  Catholic  in 
this  matter,  we  are  appealing  to  the  testimony  of  the 
Roman  Church.  No.  The  Roman  Church  is  not 
the  Catholic  Church.  The  Church  of  Rome  is  a 
part,  but,  in  many  respects,  a  very  unsound  part,  of 
the  Catholic  Church. 

In  her  Canon  of  the  Old  Testament,  she  displays 
her  own  unsoundness,  by  receiving  as  inspired  the 
Apocrypha 2;  which  was  never  received  as  such  by  the 
Ancient  Hebrew  Church,  nor  by  Jesus  Christ,  the 
Head  of  the  Universal  Church,  nor  by  His  Holy 
Apostles,  nor  by  the  Catholic  Church 3. 

With  regard  to  the  New  Testament,  we  receive  as 

2  See  above,  pp.  66,  67. 

3  As  is  proved  by  Bp.  Cosin  in  his  Scholastical  History  of  the 


88     The  Church  does  not  give  authority  to  Scripture. 

inspired  Scripture  the  same  Books  as  the  Church  of 
Rome  does.  It  is  true  there  is  no  difference  between 
her  and  us  on  this  point.  Happily,  the  difference  is 
limited  to  the  Books  of  the  Old  Testament;  and  there 
Christ  Himself  decides  the  controversy  by  His  own 
direct  testimony.  And  we  rest  on  that. 

As  to  the  New  Testament,  we  receive  the  same 
Books  as  the  Church  of  Home  does ;  but  we  do  not 
receive  them  on  her  authority.  We  receive  them  on 
the  authority  of  Christ,  speaking  to  us  by  the  Catholic, 
or  Universal,  Church. 

2.  Again ;  let  it  not  be  supposed,  that  we  are  of 
opinion  with  some  in  the  Church  of  Rome4,  that 
the  Church  can  give  authority  to  Scripture.  No ; 
the  authority  of  Scripture  comes  from  God,  and  God 
alone.  The  light  is  not  from  the  Candlestick,  but 
from  the  Candles ;  it  is  not  from  the  Church,  but 
from  the  Scriptures,  which  are  the  Candles  that 
Christ  has  lighted,  and  set  in  the  Church.  But 
the  Church  testifies  to  the  divine  authority  of  Scrip- 
ture. John  the  Baptist  was  a  shining  light*,  and 
bore  witness  to  Christ.  That  witness  was  true;  for 
John  was  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost 6  Who  spake  by  him. 
But  John  did  not  give  any  authority  to  Christ.  So 
the  Church  bears  testimony  to  Scripture,  and  we 


Canon  of  the  Scripture,  Lond.  1657,  1672, 1683;  or  in  vol.  iii.  of  his 
Works,  Oxford,  1849. 

*  Whose  assertions  to  this  effect  may  be  seen  in  the  Author's 
volume  on  the  Canon  of  Scripture,  p.  15. 

5  John  v.  35.  Lukei.  15. 


Why  we  receive  the  witness  of  the  Church  Universal  89 
to  the  Inspiration  of  Scripture. 

appeal  to  that  testimony  as  true :  we  appeal  to  it  as 
the  testimony  of  Christ,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

And  why  ?  Because  Christ  has  said,  that  the  gates 
of  hell  shall  never  prevail  against  Sis  Church 7,  and 
that  He  will  be  ever  with  her,  and  will  send  her  the 
Holy  Spirit  to  guide  her  into  all  truth,  and  to  abide 
with  her  for  ever s. 

If  the  New  Testament,  which  the  Universal  Church 
receives  and  reads  as  the  Word  of  God,  is  only  the 
word  of  man ;  if  the  Church  of  God  has  not  been  led 
into  truth  in  this  vital  matter ;  if  the  whole  Church 
of  Christ  has  fallen  into  error  in  this  fundamental 
article  concerning  the  Inspiration  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment, on  which  the  fabric  of  her  faith,  and  hope,  and 
charity  is  built,  then — we  say  it  with  all  reverence — 
Christ's  promise  to  His  Church  has  failed.  He  has 
not  sent  the  Holy  Spirit  to  lead  her  into  all  truth. 

But,  God  forbid,  my  brethren,  that  any  one  should 
imagine  this ! 

Christ  is  the  Truth.  He  is  the  everlasting  Yea 
and  Amen 9.  Heaven  and  earth  will  pass  away,  but  His 
word  will  not  pass  away 10.  Therefore  His  promise  of 
presence  and  guidance  to  His  Church  has  not  failed. 
He  speaks  to  us  by  her,  to  whom  He  has  sent  His 
Spirit,  and  He  assures  us  by  her  voice  and  practice 
that  all  the  Books  of  the  New  Testament,  which  she 
reads  as  inspired,  were  given  by  the  inspiration  of 
God. 

7  Matt.  xvi.  18.  8  John  xiv.  16;  xvi.  13. 

8  Rev.  iii.  14.     Cp.  2  Cor.  i.  20.  10  Luke  xxi.  33. 


90       Providential  course  followed  by  the  Church  of 
England  in  this  matter. 

YL  Thanks  be  to  God,  the  Church  of  England 
was  endued  with  wisdom,  at  her  Reformation  in  the 
sixteenth  century,  to  build  her  belief,  and  her 
people's  belief,  in  the  Inspiration  of  Holy  Scripture, 
on  this  good  foundation. 

1.  She  did  not  say, — what  some  other  religious  com- 
munities did  say  at  that  time  *, — that  men's  belief  in 
the  Inspiration  of  Scripture  is  to  rest  on  their  own 
inner  illumination,  or  personal  consciousness.  She 
did  not  build  her  house  on  such  a  floating  quicksand 
as  that.  No :  she  appealed  to  the  public  judgment 
and  concurrent  practice  of  the  Church  of  Christ 
Universal.  In  her  Sixth  Article 2  she  says,  in  words 
worthy  to  be  written  in  letters  of  gold  in  every 
church  of  the  British  Empire,  "  In  the  name  of  the 
HOLY  SCRIPTURE  we  do  understand  those  Canonical 
Books  of  the  OLD  and  NEW  TESTAMENT,  of  whose 
authority  was  never  any  doubt  in  the  Church"  And 
because  she  well  knew  that  there  are  some  few  portions 
of  the  New  Testament — such  as  the  Second  Epistle 
of  St.  Peter,  as  already  stated — concerning  which 
there  were  some  doubts  at  first  in  some  Churches,  but 
which  were  afterwards  universally  received,  without 
any  doubt,  by  the  whole  Catholic  Church,  she  wisely 
adds,  at  the  close  of  the  same  Article:  "All  the 
Books  of  the  New  Testament,  as  they  are  commonly 


1  See  above,  p.  23. 

2  Thirty-nine  Articles  of  the  Church  of  England  "as  agreed  upon 
by  the  Archbishops  and  Bishops  of  both  Provinces  and  the  whole 
Clergy,  in  the  Convocation  holden  at  London  in  the  year  1562." 


Calamitous  consequences  of  a  different  course.       91 

received,  we  do  receive  and  account  them  canoni- 
cal." 

She  also  shows,  what  those  Books  are,  by  her 
Authorized  Version  of  the  Bible,  and  by  her  Calendar 
of  Lessons  of  Holy  Scripture,  appointed  to  be  read 
daily  throughout  the  year. 

2.  We  cannot  be  too  thankful,  that  the  Church  of 
our  beloved  Country  was  mercifully  preserved  from 
building  on  an  unsound  foundation  in  this  most 
momentous  matter.  Three  centuries  have  elapsed 
since  that  Article  was  published ;  and  every  year 
that  passes,  bears  witness  to  the  wisdom  with  which 
it  was  framed. 

We  have  seen,  and  now  see,  that  other  reli- 
gious Communities— particularly  those  foreign  Pro- 
testant Churches, — which  did  not  build  on  this  found- 
ation, but  on  the  loose  and  sandy  substruction  of 
private  opinion,  or  personal  feeling,  in  this  great 
question  of  Inspiration — have  been,  and  are  now, 
buffeted  and  bewildered  by  the  winds  and  storms  of 
Infidelity.  They  have  separated  Holy  Scripture 
from  the  Church,  which  is  the  appointed  Keeper  and 
Guardian  of  Scripture;  and  therefore  they  have 
almost  forfeited  Scripture.  There  is  scarcely  any 
portion  of  the  Bible,  which  has  not  now  been  gain- 
said and  rejected  by  some  of  their  most  eminent 
Teachers,  relying  with  fond  and  overweening  conceit 
on  their  own  private  imaginations ;  and  dogmatizing 
rashly  and  recklessly  on  God's  Holy  Word,  with 


92  The  Church  is  the  Candlestick, 

arbitrary  wilfulness,  proud  presumption,  fickle  caprice, 
and  disdainful  contempt  of  authority.  They  declaim 
loudly  against  the  Roman  Papacy,  but  every  one 
among  them  sets  up  a  private  Popedom  in  his  own 
person,  and  claims  spiritual  infallibility  and  supre- 
macy for  himself,  and  lords  it  over  the  faith  of  men. 
This  opinionative  dictation  of  crude,  ill-digested  opi- 
nions has  engendered  endless  strife ;  this  irrational 
abuse  of  reason,  and  injudicious  perversion  of  private 
judgment,  have  brought  discredit  upon  Reason,  and 
have  been  disastrous  to  Faith. 

3.  Blessed  be  God,  the  Church  of  England  has 
not  been  led  astray  by  this  fanatical  spirit.     Blessed 
be  God,  she  has  been  enabled  to  discharge  faithfully 
the  duty  of  a  Church  in  the  public  reading  of  Holy 
Writ.  Blessed  be  God,  she  reads  day  by  day,  through- 
out the  year,  several  chapters  of  Holy  Scripture  to  the 
People  in  their  mother  tongue.     Blessed  also  be  God, 
she  builds  her  belief  in  the  Inspiration  of  Scripture  on 
a  sound  foundation ;  she  builds  it  on  the  testimony 
of  Christ,  speaking  by  His  Church  to  the  world. 

4.  This  method   of  proof  has  been   dictated  by 
Christ  Himself.  No  man,  He  says,  when  he  hath  lighted 
a  candle,  putteth  it  in   a  secret  place,  neither  under 
a  bushel,  but  on  a  Candlestick,  that  they  which  come  in 
may  see  the  light.     And  again  He  said,  No  man  lighteth 
a  candle  and  covereth  it  with  a  vessel^  or  putteth  it  under 
a  bed;  but  setteth  it  on  a  Candlestick,  that  they  which 
enter  in  may  see  the  light. 


in  which  the  Candles  of  Scripture  are  lighted  and  set   93 
fy  Christ,  the  Light  of  the  World. 

Christ  is  the  Light  of  the  World  \  He  lighted  the 
candles  of  Holy  Scripture,  and  He  has  put  them  into 
the  Candlestick  of  His  Church,  which  is  appointed  to 
guard  and  bear  the  light  of  Scripture  which  is 
kindled  by  Christ.  Therefore  Christ  Himself,  in  the 
Book  of  Revelation,  describes  a  Church  under  the 
figure  of  a  Candlestick  *. 

Observe  those  seven-branched  Candlesticks  standing 
before  the  Altar  of  this  Church.  They  are  now  dark. 
And  why  ?  Because  they  have  no  candles  in  them. 
Such  is  a  Church  without  Scripture.  It  is  dark ;  a 
Candlestick  without  light.  But  put  the  Candles  of 
Scripture  into  the  Candlestick  of  the  Church,  and 
all  will  see  the  light. 

Again,  if  you  light  the  candles,  but  put  them  into 
the  vault  or  crypt 5 ;  or  if  you  strew  them  on  the 
ground,  the  candles  are  of  little  use ;  they  soon  go 
out.  So,  if  you  bury  the  Bible  in  the  crypt  and 
vault  of  a  dead  language,  it  is  of  little  use.  If  you 
hide  it  from  the  people,  it  is  of  little  use.  Or  if  you 
smother  it  with  the  bushel  of  secular  business,  or  put 
it  beneath  the  bed  of  carnal  indulgence,  it  is  of  little 
use. 

Or  if,  on  the  other  hand,  you  scatter  Bibles  about 

*  John  viii.  12;  ix.  5. 

4  \vxvia. — properly  a  lamp-stand ;  a  term  even  more  significant  of  this 
office  of  the  Church,  than  the  English  word  candlestick :  for  the  Lamp 
is  fed  with  oil,  which  is  an  appropriate  emblem  of  Holy  Scripture, 
bestowed  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  Giver  of  Divine  unction  and  grace,' 
illuminating  the  world.  See  Rev.  i.  11 — 13. 

,  the  true  reading  in  the  text,  Luke  xi.  33. 


94      They  who  separate  the  Bible  from  the  Church, 

at  random,  and  do  not  put  them  into  the  Candle- 
stick of  the  Church,  they  will  be  puffed  and  blown 
about  with  every  wind  of  doctrine,  and  will  flare  and 
smoke,  and  soon  go  out. 

You  must  have  the  Candles,  and  you  must  have 
the  Candlestick ;  and  you  must  put  the  Candles  into 
the  Candlestick,  and  they  will  give  light  to  all. 

Christ  has  lighted  the  Candles  of  Holy  Scripture, 
and  He  has  set  them  in  the  Candlestick  of  His 
Church.  Let  us  not  separate  the  Candles  from  the 
Candlestick,  lest  we  derive  no  profit  from  either. 
Let  us  not  sever  the  Bible  from  the  Church,  lest  we 
lose  both. 

5.  Look  up  to  heaven.     Behold  Christ.     He  is  the 
true  Light  that  lighteth  every  man  that  cometh  into  the 
world 6.     He  enlightened  Moses,  He  enlightened  the 
Prophets  before   His   Incarnation,  He   enlightened 
the  Apostles  and  Evangelists  after  His  Incarnation. 
He  sent  the  Holy  Ghost  to  teach  them  all  things,  and 
to  guide  them  into  all  truth,   and  to   bring   to  their 
remembrance  whatsoever  He  had  said  unto  them,  and  to 
fill  up  the  light  of  the  Holy  Scriptures  which  are  able 
to  make  us  wise  unto  salvation  through  faith  in  Him1. 

Christ,  the  Everlasting  "Word,  is  the  Author  and 
Giver  of  the  written  Word  8. 

6.  Further,  Christ  is  the  Truth.     He  is  the  Way, 

«  John  i.  9.  '2  Tim.  iii.  15. 

8  S.  Augustine  de  Consens.  Evangel,  lib.  i.  cap.  ult.  well  says,  "  Qui 
Prophetas  ante  Suam  descensionem  misit,  Ipse  et  Apostolos  post  Suam 
ascensionem  misit  .  .  .  quicquid  Ille  de  Suis  factis  et  dictis  nos  legere 
voluit,  hoc  scribendum  illis  tanquam  Suis  manibus  imperavit." 


are  in  peril  of  losing  both  the  Bible  and  the  Church.   95 

the  Truth,  and  the  Life  9.  He  is  the  faithful  and  true 
Witness  *.  He  not  only  gave  the  Scriptures,  but  He 
bears  testimony  to  their  Inspiration.  When  He 
came  down  from  Heaven  and  took  our  flesh,  He 
acknowledged  all  the  Books  of  the  Old  Testament  to 
be  given  by  Inspiration  of  God.  And  after  His 
ascension  into  heaven,  He  established  His  Church, 
and  sent  His  Holy  Spirit  to  be  for  ever  with  her ;  and 
He  speaks  in  her,  and  by  her,  and  He  declares  by 
her  voice  and  practice,  that  the  Scriptures  of  the 
New  Testament,  no  less  than  the  Old,  are  the  Word 
of  the  Living  God. 

VII.  Lastly,  Christ  gives  the  Holy  Spirit  to  all 
those  who  seek  for  Him  aright.  He  punishes  un- 
godly men  with  spiritual  blindness,  so  that  they 
cannot  see  the  light  blazing  forth  in  Holy  Scripture. 
He  chastises  those  who  lead  unholy  lives ;  who  would 
quench  the  light  of  Scripture,  if  they  could,  for  it 
speaks  to  them  of  a  Judgment  to  come.  He  allows 
them  to  close  their  eyes,  and  leaves  them  to  themselves. 
Infidelity  is  the  punishment  which  evil  men  inflict 
on  themselves  by  their  sins.  Every  one  that  doeth 
evil  hateth  the  light,  neither  cometh  to  the  light,  lest  his 
deeds  should  be  reproved*.  Nor  is  it  only  carnal 
indulgence,  or  worldliness,  which  produce  spiritual 
blindness.  Spiritual  blindness  often  co-exists  with 
great  mental  endowments.  It  is  engendered  by  in- 
tellectual pride.  God  hides  Himself  from  the  wise 

9  John  xiv.  6.  »  Rev.  iii.  14.  2  John  iii.  20. 


96  Moral  requisites  for  receiving  tTie  Bible. 

and  prudent,  but  revealeth  Himself  unto  babes3.  He  re- 
sisteth  the  proud,  but  giveth  grace  unto  the  humble*. 
The  angels  of  Christ's  little  ones  see  the  face  of  God 5. 
We  must  become  as  little  children,  if  we  would  be- 
hold Him,  and  see  the  wondrous  things  of  His  Law ". 
In  order  that  the  mind  may  be  clear,  the  heart 
must  be  clean.  "We  must  seek  for  the  truth  not  by 
wrangling  disputations,  but  by  loving  thoughts  and 
words  and  deeds,  by  lowly  reverence  on  our  knees. 
We  must  seek  it  by  holiness  of  life.  If  any  man 
does  God's  will.  He  will  make  him  know  of  the  doctrine 7. 
If  any  man  love  God,  the  same  is  known  of  God 8,  and 
is  loved  of  God,  and  God  reveals  Himself  to  him. 
Mysteries  are  revealed  unto  the  meek 9.  Them  that  are 
meek  shall  He  guide  in  judgment ;  and  such  as  are  gentle, 
them  shall  He  learn  His  way  \ 

Is  this  temper  yours  ?  Are  these  dispositions 
yours?  Then,  God  knows,  you  will  be  enchanted 
and  enraptured  with  the  beauty  and  loveliness  of 
Holy  Scripture;  you  will  be  transported  with  holy 
ecstasy  in  hearing  and  reading  it.  It  will  sound  in 
your  ears  like  heavenly  music,  chanted  by  the  quires 
of  the  Seraphim.  By  the  aid  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
shed  abroad  in  your  hearts,  in  answer  to  your  prayers, 
you  will  see  the  work  of  the  Spirit  in  the  Bible. 
You  will  say,  Lord,  hoic  I  love  Thy  Law,  all  the  day 


3  Luke  x.  21.  4  James  iv.  6.     1  Pet.  v.  5. 

5  Matt,  xviii.  10.  •  Ps.  cxix.  18. 

?  John  vii.  17-  8  1  Cor.  viii.  3. 

9  Ecclus.  iii.  19.  1  Ps.  xxv.  8. 


External  evidence  confirmed  ~by  internal.  97 

long  is  my  study  in  it.  I  rejoice  at  Thy  Word  as  one 
that  findeth  great  spoil2.  Thy  testimonies  are  my  de- 
Ught  and  my  counsellors 3.  More  to  be  desired  are  they 
than  gold,  yea,  than  much  fine  gold,  sweeter  also  than 
honey  and  tlw  honeycomb 4.  You  will  never  be  weary 
of  admiring  the  harmonious  symmetry  of  all  the 
parts  of  the  Bible,  the  unsullied  holiness  of  its  pre- 
cepts, the  exact  fulfilment  of  its  prophecies,  the 
tender  graciousness  of  its  promises,  the  marvellous 
glory  of  its  revelations,  displaying  Christ  the  Sun  of 
Righteousness,  illumining  our  dark  nature  with  the 
brilliant  splendour  of  His  light,  and  dwelling  therein 
with  the  Shechinah  of  His  Presence,  and  pouring 
upon  it  the  riches  of  His  grace,  and  preparing  it  for 
the  everlasting  fruition  of  heavenly  bliss.  You  will 
never  be  tired  of  meditating  on  the  wonderful  adapt- 
ation of  the  Scriptures  to  our  nature  and  our  needs, 
to  our  cares  and  our  sorrows,  to  our  fears  and  our 
hopes,  to  our  temptations  and  our  trials;  you  will 
never  be  satiated  in  contemplating  the  manifold 
blessings  which  have  been  produced  by  the  Holy 
Scriptures  in  human  hearts,  and  in  human  house- 
holds, and  in  cities,  kingdoms,  and  nations,  wherever 
the  Scriptures  have  been  duly  received,  loved,  and 
obeyed. 

Thus  you  will  be  confirmed,  settled,  and  immoveably 
established  in  your  belief,  which  Christ,  speaking  in 
His  Church,  solemnly  testifies  to  be  true,  that  all 

2  Ps.  cxix.  162.  3  Ps.  cxix.  24.  97- 

4  Ps.  xix.  10. 


98  Anticipations  of  a  future  state. 

Scripture  is  given  by  Inspiration  of  God5.  And  you 
may  humbly  believe  and  devoutly  nope,  that,  if  you 
have  profited  aright  by  its  Revelations  upon  earth,  it 
will  be  your  employment  and  joy,  in  a  future,  eternal, 
state  of  existence,  to  have  a  fuller  insight  into  those 
Mysteries,  of  which  the  Scriptures  speak,  and  which 
Angels  desire  to  look  into6;  and  to  have  an  ever- 
lasting vision  in  heaven,  of  the  manifold  wisdom  of 
.God. 

»  2  Tim.  iii.  16.  6  1  Pet.  i.  12. 


LECTURE  Y. 


2  TIMOTHY  iii.  16,  17. 

All  Scripture  is  given  by  inspiration  of  God,  and  is  profitable  for. 
doctrine,  for  reproof,  for  correction,  for  instruction  in  righteousness : 
that  the  man  of  God  may  be  perfect,  throughly  furnished  unto  all 
good  works. 

I.  Be  ready  always  to  give  an  answer  to  every  man  that 
asketh  you  a  reason  of  the  hope  that  is  in  you.  This  is 
the  precept  of  St.  Peter  *.  The  hope  that  is  in  us,  is 
grounded  on  a  belief  that  the  Bible  is  the  Word  of 
God ;  and  the  Apostle  may  therefore  be  understood 
to  require  us  to  be  ready  always  to  render  to  others 
an  account  of  the  reasons  which  constrain  us,  and 
ought  to  persuade  them,  to  receive  the  Bible  as  God's 
Holy  Word. 

1.  This  being  the  case,  we  have  in  a  previous  dis- 
course 2  declared  ourselves  unable  to  agree  with  those, 
who  rest  their  belief  in  the  Inspiration  of  the  Bible 
on  their  own  personal  assurance  of  its  Inspiration. 
Such  an  assurance,  however  satisfactory  to  them- 

1  1  Pet.  iii.  15.  2  See  above,  pp.  20—27. 

F  2 


100  Recapitulation. 

selves,  can  have  no  influence  with  other  men ;  it  will 
never  bring  the  unbeliever  to  acknowledge  the  Bible 
to  be  from  God. 

2.  Besides,  the  history  of  the  last  three  centuries, 
and  especially  of  our  own  age,  has  displayed  the  dis- 
astrous consequences  of  such  a  method  of  dealing 
with  this  great  question  of  Inspiration. 

The  appeal  to  private  feelings  and  assurances  was 
first  employed  in  defence  of  the  Bible;  but  it  has 
now  been  turned  against  it;  and  they  who  rely  on 
private  feelings  and  personal  assurances,  as  their 
ground  for  believing  the  Bible,  cannot  make  any 
effectual  reply  to  those  who  appeal  to  their  own 
private  feelings  and  personal  assurances  as  their 
reason  for  rejecting  it. 

The  dogmas  of  Private  Judgment  have  produced 
the  doubts  of  Infidelity.  The  advantages  which 
have  been  given  to  Scepticism  by  that  appeal  to  per- 
sonal feelings  and  private  opinions,  and  the  baneful 
fruits  which  it  is  now  bringing  forth  in  our  own 
land,  warn  us  to  consider  well  our  first  principles. 

3.  We  need  something  much  more  sound,  solid,  and 
stable,   than  our  own   consciousness,  to   refute   the 
assaults  of  Unbelief,  and  to  sustain  our  own  faith  and 
that  of  others  in  the  divine  Inspiration  of  the  Bible ; 
and  also,  if  God  so  will,  to  bring  the  sceptic  and  un- 
believer to  acknowledge,  that  all  Scripture  is  given  by 
Inspiration  of  God. 

4.  It  has  been  my  endeavour  to  do  something, 
with  God's  help,  in  this  great  work  of  building  up 


Recapitulation.  101 

our  old  waste  places,  and  raising  up  the  foundation*  of 
many  generations9  and  repairing  the  breach  that  has 
been  made  by  some,  who  ought  themselves  to  be 
builders;  and  with  this  aim  and  purpose,  the  Dis- 
courses have  been  delivered  on  this  subject  which 
have  been  lately  addressed  to  you  in  this  place. 

Reasonable  men  require  sound  reasons  for  what 
they  do ;  and  their  assent  to  any  proposition  is  pro- 
portioned to  the  reasons  given  in  support  of  it ;  and 
the  influence,  which  any  proposition  exercises  on 
their  conduct,  is  also  proportioned  to  the  conviction 
produced  by  those  reasons  in  their  minds. 

II.  What,  then,  are  our  reasons  for  belief  in  the 
Inspiration  of  Holy  Scripture  ? 

1.  Our  answer  to  this  question,  as  you  may  re- 
member, was :  "We  have  the  authority  of  God  Him- 
self, declared  to  us  in  the  uniform  consent  and  prac- 
tice of  His  own  People,  acknowledging  the  Old  Tes- 
tament to  be  His  Word.     We  have  that  acknowledg- 
ment authorized  and  confirmed  by  the  Son  of  Grod, 
when  He  came  down  from  heaven  and  dwelt  among 
us.     And  for   our  belief  in  the  Inspiration  of  the 
New  Testament  as  well  as  of  the  Old,  we  have  Christ's 
testimony,  speaking  to  us  in  the  Church  Universal, 
to  which  He  has  promised  His  presence  and  Spirit 
even  to  the  end. 

2.  The  peculiar  value  of  this  testimony  to  the  In- 
spiration  of  Holy   Scripture   is  its  comprehensive- 
ness and  universality.     Other  arguments  apply  with 

3  Isa.  Iviii.  12. 
F    3 


102    The  previous  proof  of  the  Inspiration  of  the  Bible 

greater  or  less  force  to  portions  of  Holy  "Writ.  But 
this  testimony  extends  to  the  whole  Bible.  It  covers 
the  whole  with  a  divine  panoply.  It  authenticates 
the  whole  as  the  Inspired  "Word  of  God ;  it  proves, 
that  all  Scripture — every  part  of  Scripture — is  given  by 
Inspiration  of  God. 

III.  To  this  point  in  the  argument  we  had  arrived 
in  the  last  discourse. 

Let  us  now  proceed  to  observe,  that  the  strength 
of  this  general  testimony  to  the  Inspiration  of  Holy 
Scripture  is  corroborated  by  other  subsequent  con- 
siderations, which  accrue  with  cumulative  force,  and 
settle  and  stablish  us  more  firmly  in  the  belief,  that 
the  Scriptures  are  the  "Word  of  God. 

IY.  "What,  then,  are  these  considerations  ? 

This  will  be  the  subject  of  our  present  inquiry. 

1.  First,  then,  we  are  confirmed  in  our  belief  of 
the  Inspiration  of  the  Bible  by  observing  the  evi- 
dences of  a  providential  design  carried  on  during  many 
ages  in  succession,  for  protecting  the  Bible,  and  for 
assuring  us  that  Holy  Scripture  is  God's  Word. 

If  the  Bible  were  not  His  "Word,  it  would  be  no- 
thing else  than  a  forgery  put  forth  in  His  name. 
For,  it  professes  to  deliver  a  message  from  God,  and 
to  give  revelations  of  His  nature  and  attributes,  and 
to  unfold  the  hidden  mysteries  of  the  spiritual  world. 

If,  therefore,  the  Bible  is  not  from  God,  it  is  a 
counterfeit  coin,  bearing  His  impress  :  it  is  a  profane 
outrage  against  Him,  and  a  fraudulent  imposture 
upon  mankind.  Consequently  it  would  be  viewed 


is  confirmed  1y  the  evidence  of  God's  providential    103 
care  of  the  Bible. 

with  indignation  by  Him  "Who  is  a  God  of  justice 
and  truth. 

But  look  back  upon  the  past.  Ever  since  the 
Bible  was  written,  Almighty  God  has  continued  to 
protect  it.  He  has  never  ceased  to  acknowledge  it 
as  His  own.  "When  the  first  books  of  the  Bible — 
namely,  the  Books  of  Moses — were  written,  He  re- 
ceived them  under  His  divine  guardianship  in  the 
Holy  of  Holies  *.  In  critical  times,  He  has  ever  in- 
terfered to  save  it.  When  the  Old  Testament  was 
in  peril  of  being  lost,  through  the  corruption  and 
idolatry  of  Princes,  Priests,  and  People,  He  brought 
forth  the  original  volume  of  the  Law  from  its  sacred 
retreat  in  the  days  of  good  King  Josiah,  who  in  his 
own  name,  and  in  that  of  his  people,  proclaimed  it 
to  be  the  Word  of  God 5. 

The  subsequent  dispersion  of  the  Jews  for  their 
sins  was  made  ministerial,  as  we  have  seen6,  to  the 
preservation  and  dissemination  of  God's  Holy  Word 
in  almost  all  countries,  where  Synagogues  were 
erected  by  the  Jews,  in  which  the  Old  Testament 
was  publicly  read  every  Sabbath  day. 

Afterwards,  in  an  evil  time,  Antiochus  Epiphanes 
the  King  of  Syria  arose,  and  set  up  the  abomination 
of  desolation  in  the  Temple  of  God  at  Jerusalem; 
and  endeavoured  to  compel  the  Jews  to  worship  the 
gods  of  the  Heathen ;  and  sent  forth  his  own  soldiers 
to  destroy  the  copies  of  the  Old  Testament,  who  rent 

4  See  above,  p.  44.  6  See  above,  p.  45. 

6  See  above,  pp.  35—39. 

p  4 


10-1     God's  providential  care  of  the  Bible  confirms  the 
belief  of  its  divine  origin. 

in  pieces  the  Books  of  the  Law  which  they  found,  and 
burnt  them  with  fire;  and  whosoever  was  found  with,  any 
such  Book  was  put  to  death  by  the  king's  command 7. 

In  that  critical  juncture  Almighty  God  interposed 
to  rescue  His  own  "Word,  and  the  persecuting  King 
was  suddenly  cut  off  by  a  miserable  death 8. 

About  a  century  and  a  half  passed  away,  and  the 
Son  of  God  came  down  from  heaven.  At  that  time 
the  Word  of  God  was  publicly  read  by  the  Jews  in 
the  Synagogues  of  Palestine,  and  in  almost  every  city 
of  the  civilized  world.  But  its  sense  was  overlaid 
and  obscured  by  human  traditions.  The  Son  of  God 
acknowledged  the  Old  Testament  in  the  hands  of  the 
Jews.  He  owned  it  to  be  God's  Word.  He  showed 
His  zeal  for  it  by  sternly  rebuking  the  Pharisees  for 
making"  it  of  none  effect  by  their  tradition 9.  But  He 
never  rebuked  them  for  receiving  it  as  God's  Word. 
No :  on  the  contrary,  He  joined  with  them  in  the 
service  of  their  Synagogues,  and  in  reading  and 
expounding  the  Old  Testament  as  God's  Word1. 
And  His  Apostles,  and  His  Church  after  them,  being 
taught  by  the  Son  of  God,  received  the  Old  Testa- 
ment as  inspired  by  God  ;  and  commanded  all  men 
to  receive  it  as  such. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  fourth  century  after  Christ, 
a  fierce  persecution  arose  against  His  Church.  The 
Emperor  of  the  Roman  World,  Diocletian,  endea- 

t  1  Mac.  i.  54,  55—57. 

s  1  Mac.  vi.  12,  13.  1 6.     2  Mac.  ix.  11—18.  28. 

9  Matt.  xv.  3.  6.  *  See  above,  pp.  60—65. 


History  of  the  Bible  in  England.  105 

voured  to  destroy  the  Bible.  He  ordered  diligent 
search  to  be  made  in  all  parts  of  the  Empire  for 
copies  of  the  New  Testament2,  and  commanded  them 
to  be  burnt.  But  God  again  interfered  to  save  it. 
The  sacred  Bush  was  burning,  but  it  was  not  consumed, 
and  God's  voice  came  forth  from  the  midst  of  it3. 
In  a  few  years  afterwards,  He  raised  up  another 
Sovereign  of  the  Roman  "World,  Constantino,  the 
first  Emperor  who  embraced  Christianity ;  and  by  his 
royal  command  copies  of  the  Holy  Scriptures  were 
multiplied,  and  Churches  were  built,  in  which  those 
Scriptures  were  read,  as  the  inspired  "Word  of  God. 

A  thousand  years  passed  away.  Then  was  an 
evil  time  for  Holy  Scripture.  The  Bible  was  not 
dead ;  but  it  was  buried.  It  was  entombed  in  the 
sepulchre  of  a  dead  language.  Not  to  speak  of  other 
lands,  but  only  of  our  own,  not  a  single  copy  of  the 
Bible  existed  at  that  time  in  England  in  our  tongue. 
But  then  arose  John  Wickliffe.  Five  hundred  years 
ago,  he  translated  the  Bible  into  English 4.  In  that 
age  copies  of  the  Bible  could  only  be  had  in  manu- 
script ;  and  four  and  twenty  years  after  his  death  it 
was  decreed 5  by  some  in  high  place  among  us,  that 
"no  one  should  hereafter  translate  any  text  into 
English,  and  that  no  book  of  this  kind  should  be  read 
that  was  composed  by  John  Wickliffe." 

2  Euseb.  H.  E.  viii.  2.  3  Exod.  iii.  2.  4. 

4  See  Lewis,  History  of  the  English  Translations  of  the  Bible,  p. 
18—27.     Lond.  1739. 

5  By  Archbishop  Arundel,  in  a  Constitution  at  Oxford,  1408. 

p  5 


106  History  of  the  Bille  in  England. 

Such  was  then  the  famine  of  hearing  GocFs  Word fl  in 
England. 

But  in  fifty  years'  time,  the  art  of  Printing  was 
invented,  and  "William  Caxton  set  up  his  press  at 
"Westminster7.  And  about  the  year  1526  William 
Tyndal  made  and  published  in  London  his  Translation 
of  the  Bible — the  first  Translation  that  ever  was 
printed  in  this  land.  The  Author  of  this  Translation, 
and  his  coadjutor  John  Frith,  died  nobly  as  Martyrs 
for  the  Faith ;  and  the  light  which  they  kindled  has 
never  been  put  out.  Two  centuries  and  a  half  after 
the  first  Translation  of  the  Bible  into  English  by 
Wickliffe,  and  just  two  centuries  and  a  half  ago, — that 
is,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  1611, — our  own  Authorized 
Version  was  published.  That  noble  Translation  was 
made  by  a  goodly  company  of  pious  and  learned  men, 
at  the  head  of  whom  stood  a  Dean  of  Westminster 8 ; 
and  by  God's  blessing  on  their  labours,  and  on  those 
of  others  in  this  and  other  lands,  especially  our  reli- 
gious Societies,  the  Holy  Scriptures  are  now  diffused 
every  where.  Their  sound  is  gone  out  into  all  lands, 
and  their  words  into  the  ends  of  the  icorld9.  This  is  the 
Lord's  doing,  and  it  is  marvellous  in  our  eyes  *. 

Surely  these  events,  extending  over  a  range  of 
more  than  three  thousand  years,  afford  practical 
attestation  from  God  Himself,  that  the  Bible  is  His 


6  Amos  via.  11.  7  A.D.  1474. 

8  Dean — afterwards  Bishop — Andrewes.  See  Lewis's  History  of  the 
Translations  of  the  Bible,  p.  308. 

9  Pa.  six.  4.  *  Ps.  cxviii.  23. 


The  fulfilment  of  the  Prophecies  of  Scripture  confirms  \ffi 
the  belief  in  its  Inspiration. 

"Word.  Surely  they  may  inspire  us  with  the  cheering 
assurance,  that,  however  Satan  may  assail  it,  God 
will  protect  it  unto  the  end. 

2.  Another  evidence  of  the  Inspiration  of  Holy 
Scripture  is  seen  in  the  fulfilment  of  the  Prophecies, 
which  are  contained  therein.  God,  and  God  alone, 
can  foresee  the  future.  He  challenges  false  gods  by 
saying,  "  Show  us  what  shall  happen,  declare  us  things 
for  to  come 2" 

Let  this  test  be  applied  to  the  Books  of  the  Old 
Testament. 

Can  any  other  writings  in  the  world  be  named, 
composed  at  such  different  times,  in  such  different 
places,  and  by  the  instrumentality  of  such  different 
persons,  as  the  Books  of  the  Old  Testament;  and 
delivering  such  a  long  series  of  Prophecies,  as  those, 
for  instance,  which  concern  the  Messiah,  and  begin 
with  the  Book  of  Genesis,  and  end  with  that  of 
Malachi ;  can  any  other  writings  be  named,  contain- 
ing Prophecies  so  minute,  so  various,  and  seemingly 
so  contradictory — as,  for  example,  those  which  pre- 
announce  a  Messiah,  suffering  the  most  shameful 
and  agonizing  pain,  and  yet  triumphing  as  a  mighty 
Conqueror,  and  reigning  as  a  glorious  King — and  all 
punctually  fulfilled,  fulfilled  by  the  agency  of  that 
very  people — the  Jews — who  had  those  prophecies 
in  their  hands,  and  who  read  those  prophecies  every 
Sabbath  Day  in  their  Synagogues ;  and  yet,  as  St. 

2  Isa.  xli.  22. 
F    6 


108     The  harmony  of  the  various  parts  of  the  Bible 
confirms  the  proof  of  its  Inspiration. 

Paul  says,  fulfilled  them  in  condemning  Him,  of  whom 
those  Prophecies  speak  ? 

Here,  then,  is  another  proof  that  the  Books  of  the 
Old  Testament  are  animated  by  the  breath  of  God. 

3.  Consider  also  the  wonderful  symmetry  of  the 
various  parts  of  the  Bible. 

Its  subject-matter  reaches  from  the  Creation  to 
the  End  of  time.  Its  Books  were  written  by  different 
persons  in  distant  ages  and  countries.  And  yet 
how  marvellously  do  they  harmonize  together. 
They  are  like  Christ's  vesture,  woven  without  seam*. 
They  are  like  the  wings  of  the  Cherubim,  as  de- 
scribed by  Ezekiel,  intertwined  and  interlaced 
together 4.  The  Jewish  Doctors  said  that  the  words 
of  the  Pentateuch  make  one  word;  and  there  is  a 
spiritual  truth  in  the  saying.  The  Books  of  the 
Bible  are  all  fitted  together.  The  Law  prepares  the 
way  for  the  Prophets,  and  the  Prophets  proclaim  the 
sanctity  of  the  Law.  The  New  Testament  lies  hid 
in  the  Old  Testament,  and  the  Old  Testament  is 
opened  in  the  New.  All  the  Books  of  the  Bible  are 
joined  together,  and  form  one  Book. 

No  human  design  could  have  produced  such  a 
result  as  this.  It  is  the  work  of  Him  who  sees  all 
things  at  a  glance  to  the  end  from  the  beginning 5, 
and  with  Whom  one  day  is  as  a  thousand  years,  and  a 
thousand  years  as  one  day 6. 

Here  is  another  evidence  that  the  Bible  is  from  Him. 

3  John  xiz.  23.  *  Ezek.  i.  9.  11,  12. 

5  Isa.  xlvi.  10,  e  2  pet.  m.  8. 


The  weakness  of  the  instruments  used  in  writing  tlie  109 
Bible,  and  the  work  done  thereby,  prove  its  divine  origin. 

4.  Let  us  also  reflect  what  kind  of  persons  they 
were,  who  were  employed  to  write  the  Bible. 

The  Bible,  particularly  the  New  Testament,  pro- 
fesses fco  unfold  things  hidden  from  the  foundation  of 
the  ivorld 7.  The  Gospels  claim  to  be  records  of  the 
sayings  of  the  Son  of  God,  revealing  the  abstruse 
Mysteries  of  His  heavenly  Kingdom.  And  icho  were 
the  persons  chosen  to  write  these  marvels?  Their 
enemies  justly  said  that  they  were  unlearned  and 
ignorant  men 8.  True  :  such  they  were  in  themselves, 
Publicans  and  Fishermen  of  Galilee.  Yet  these 
unlearned  and  ignorant  men  have  become  the  Teachers 
of  the  "World.  They  are  the  Historians  of  the 
greatest  deeds  that  ever  were  done  ;  they  are  the 
Chroniclers  of  the  wisest  sayings  that  were  ever 
uttered  ;  they  are  the  reporters  of  the  most  heavenly 
Sermons  that  were  ever  preached.  And  the  World 
has  received  their  words, — has  received  them  as 
divine.  The  Gospels  are  read  every  where.  God  evan- 
gelized the  learned  and  wise  by  means  of  the  simple 
and  foolish ;  and  not  the  simple  and  foolish  by 
means  of  the  learned  and  wise.  As  S.  Augustine 
says,  "  He  caught  the  Orator  by  the  Fisherman 9 ; 
and  not  the  Fisherman  by  the  Orator." 

The  greatest  sages  of  this  world — the  Bacons  and 
Newtons,  the  Keplers  and  Pascals— sit  down  as 


7  Matt.  xiii.  35.  8  Acts  iv.  13. 

9  Piscatorem  de  Oratore  non  lucratus  est  Christus,  sed  Oratorem  de 
Piscatore.  S.  Augustine,  de  Utilitate  Jejunii  ix.,  and  Serm.  xliii.  and 
Ixxxvii.,  and  in  Ps.  cxlix. 


110     The  beneficial  effects  produced  ~by  the  Bible,  in 
nations  and  families, 

little  children  at  the  feet  of  St.  Matthew  and  St. 
John. 

How  could  this  be  done  ? 

Certainly  not  by  the  writers  themselves.  Of  them- 
selves they  could  do  nothing.  Their  sufficiency  was  of 
God  *.  According  to  His  promise,  Christ  sent  them 
the  Holy  Ghost,  to  lead  them  into  all  truth,  and  to  bring 
all  things  to  their  remembrance,  whatsoever  He  had  said 
to  them. 

He  chose  weak  instruments  for  this  mighty  work  of 
evangelizing  the  world,  in  order  that  by  the  weak- 
ness of  the  instruments  chosen,  and  by  the  greatness  of 
the  work  done  through  their  instrumentality,  it  might 
be  evident  to  all,  that  the  work  was  not  of  them,  but 
of  God.  The  treasure  of  heavenly  truth  was  com- 
mitted to  earthen  vessels,  in  order  that  the  excellency 
of  the  power  of  the  Gospel  might  be  seen  to  be  of  God, 
and  not  of  men 2. 

5.  Let  us  reflect  also  on  the  beneficent  effects  pro- 
duced by  the  Bible  on  the  world. 

Here  is  another  proof  that  the  Scriptures  are  from 
Him.  The  Bible  speaks  in  God's  name,  and  pro- 
fesses to  be  God's  "Word.  And  if  it  is  not  in  fact, 
what  in  name  it  professes  to  be,  then  there  is  no 
other  alternative,  it  is  not  from  God,  but  from  the 
Evil  One.  Every  plant  which  My  Heavenly  Father 
hath  not  planted,  shall  be  rooted  up,  says  Christ 3.  And, 
A  Tree  is  known  by  its  fruits 4. 

1  2  Cor.  iii.  5.  3  2  Cor.  iv.  7- 

3  Matt.  xv.  13.  4  Matt.  vii.  16;  xii.  33.     Luke  vi.  43. 


prove  tlie  Bible  to  le  of  God.  Ill 

What,  then,  have  been  the  fruits  of  the  Bible  ? 

Do  they  not  show  that  the  tree  is  a  good  tree, 
that  it  is  a  tree  of  life,  and  that  its  leaves  are  for  the 
healing  of  the  Nations  5. 

This  is  the  fact  on  which  St.  Paul  insists,  when  he 
says  that  All  Scripture,  or  rather  every  Scripture 6, 
being  divinely  inspired,  or  inbreathed  by  God,  is  also 7 
profitable  for  doctrine,  for  reproof,  for  correction,  for 
instruction  in  righteousness,  that  the  man  of  God  may 
be  perfect,  throughly  furnished  unto  every  good  icork. 
What  is  the  condition  of  men  without  it  ?  and  what  is 
their  condition,  wherever  they  receive  and  obey  it  ? 

The  Bible,  and  the  Bible  alone,  makes  subjects 
loyal  to  their  Sovereigns,  because  it  teaches  them 
that,  in  obeying  their  Sovereign,  they  are  obeying 
God,  and  will  be  rewarded  hereafter  by  Him  8.  The 
Bible,  and  the  Bible  alone,  makes  Sovereigns  rule 
rightly,  because  it  reminds  them  that  they  must 
render  a  strict  account  of  their  rule  to  the  King  of 
kings.  The  Bible  makes  Judges  and  Magistrates 
judge  just  judgment,  because  it  tells  them,  that  they 
must  one  day  stand  before  the  Judgment-Seat  of 
Christ.  The  Bible  makes  Masters  kind  to  their 
Servants,  because  it  declares  to  all  Masters,  that  they 
have  a  Master  in  heaven  x.  The  Bible  makes  Servants 
faithful  to  their  Masters,  because  it  assures  all  Ser- 

5  Rev.  xxii.  2. 

*  ira&a  ypa(p7] :  "  Every  portion  of  the  Holy  Book  is  inspired,  and 
forms  a  living  portion  of  a  living  organic  whole." 

7  Kal ;  this  is  probably  the  true  reading  of  the  text. 

8  Rom.  xiii.  1—3.  *  Eph.  vi.  9.     Col.  iv.  1. 


112         Beneficial  effects  produced  ty  the  Bible,  in 
nations  and  families, 

vants  that  they  are  Christ ' s  freemen,  and  will  receive 
a  reward  for  dutiful  service,  at  the  Great  Day  2.  The 
Bible  persuades  busy  men  to  forego  their  business, 
and  makes  tender  women  forget  their  tenderness, 
and  visit  Prisons  and  Hospitals,  and  minister  at  the 
bedside  of  the  sick,  and  watch  over  the  dying; 
because  they  know,  that  what  they  do  to  the  least  of 
Christ's  brethren  on  earth,  they  do  it  unto  Him,  and 
that  He  will  requite  them  for  it  at  the  Great  Day 3. 
The  Bible,  and  the  Bible  alone,  unlocks  the  fetters  of 
the  slave,  and  makes  all  men  brethren  in  Christ 4.  The 
Bible  sends  forth  the  Missionary  to  heathen  lands,  to 
loose  the  chains  of  the  soul.  The  Bible,  and  the 
Bible  alone,  operates  on  the  mainspring  of  human 
actions, — the  heart.  The  Bible  makes  men  honest  and 
just,  kind  and  charitable  in  their  thoughts  and  speeches, 
as  well  as  in  their  acts,  because  it  teaches  them,  that 
all  things  are  naked  and  open  to  the  eyes  of  Him  with 
Whom  they  have  to  do 5,  and  that  He  will  bring  to 
light  the  hidden  things  of  darkness,  and  make  manifest 
the  counsels  of  the  hearts6.  The  Bible  makes  Hus- 
bands and  Wives  faithful  and  loving  to  each  other, 
because  it  teaches,  that  Marriage  was  instituted  by 
God  in  Paradise,  and  that  it  represents  the  spiritual 
union  and  wedlock  between  Christ  and  His  Church, 
and  that  whoever  dishonours  Marriage  desecrates  a 
great  Mystery 7.  The  Bible  makes  young  men  and 

2  Eph.  vi.  5.     Col.  Hi.  22.  Titus  ii.  9.     1  Pet.  ii.  18.  22. 

a  Matt.  xxv.  40.  4  Phil.  16. 

5  Heb.  iv.  13.  6  1  Cor.  iv.  5. 

f  Eph.  v.  22—32. 


prove  the  Bible  to  be  of  God.  113 

young  women  to  live  pure,  chaste,  and  holy  lives, 
because  it  teaches  them  that  their  bodies  are  temples 
of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  that  whosoever  defiles  the 
Temple  of  God,  him  will  God  destroy 8,  and  that  their 
bodies  are  members  of  Christ,  and  are  to  be  held  in 
honour  as  such9;  and  that  their  bodies  will  be 
raised  again  from  the  grave,  and  that  they  must 
then  give  an  account  of  the  things  done  in  the  body  \ 
and  that,  if  they  have  presented  their  bodies  a  living 
sacrifice  to  God  upon  earth 2,  in  holiness  and  pureness 
of  living,  their  bodies  will  rise  from  the  grave,  and 
i  ve  hereafter  in  heaven,  in  everlasting  health  and 
angelic  beauty,  and  be  made  like  unto  Christ's  glorious 
body,  according  to  the  mighty  working  whereby  He  is 
able  to  subdue  all  things  unto  Himself3. 

What  shall  we  say  more  ?  The  Bible  is  the  fountain 
of  all  true  Patriotism  and  Loyalty  in  States  ;  it  is  the 
source  of  all  true  wisdom,  sound  policy,  and  equity  in 
Senates,  Council-chambers,  and  Courts  of  Justice  ; 
it  is  the  spring  of  all  true  discipline  and  obedience, 
and  of  all  valour  and  chivalry  in  Armies  and  Fleets, 
on  the  battle-field,  and  on  the  wide  sea.  It  is  the 
origin  of  all  probity  and  integrity  in  Commerce  and  in 
Trade,  in  Marts  and  in  Shops,  in  Banking-houses 
and  Exchanges ;  in  the  public  resorts  of  men,  and  in 
the  secret  silence  of  the  heart.  It  is  the  pure 
unsullied  fountain  of  all  love  and  peace,  happiness, 

8  1  Cor.  iii.  16,  17;  vi.  19.  9  1  Cor.  vi.  15.     1  Thess.  iv.  4. 

1  Rom.  ii.  6  ;  xiv.  12.     2  Cor.  v.  10.  2  Rom.  xii.  1. 

3  Phil.  iii.  21. 


114    Testimony  of  the  English  Nation  to  ihe  sanctity  of 
the  Bible,  at  the  Coronation  of  its  Sovereigns. 

quietness,  and  joy,  in  families  and  households. 
Wherever  it  is  duly  obeyed,  it  makes  the  desert  of 
the  World  to  rejoice  and  blossom  as  the  rose 4. 

These  are  the  fruits  of  the  Bible.  Surely  we  may 
conclude  from  them,  that  the  Tree  which  bears  them 
has  been  planted  by  the  hand  of  God,  and  is  watered 
by  the  dews  and  showers  of  His  Spirit,  and  is 
warmed  by  the  sunshine  of  His  grace ; — that  it  is 
God's  Tree,  and  will  flourish  for  evermore. 

V.  Finally,  let  us  look  around.  The  place  in 
which  we  now  are,  is  full  of  instruction.  In  this 
ancient  Minster,  Kings  and  Queens  are  crowned: 
and  at  their  Coronation,  that  Sacred  Yolume,  the 
HOLY  BIBLE,  is  taken  from  that  Altar;  and  that 
Blessed  Book  is  placed  in  the  Monarch's  hands,  with 
these  solemn  words,  uttered  by  the  public  Yoice  of 
the  English  Church  and  Nation,  at  that  august  cere- 
monial * : — 

"  Our  Gracious  Sovereign !  we  present  you  with 
this  Book,  the  most  valuable  thing  that  this  world 
affords.  Here  is  Wisdom ;  this  is  the  Royal  Law ; 
these  are  the  lively  Oracles  of  God.  Blessed  is  he 
that  readeth,  and  they  that  keep  the  Words  of  this 
Book ;  that  keep  and  do  the  things  contained  in  it. 
For  these  are  the  words  of  eternal  Life,  able  to  make 
you  wise  and  happy  in  this  world,  nay,  wise  unto 
salvation ;  and  so,  happy  for  evermore,  through  faith 

*  Isa.  xxxv.  1. 

5  See  the  Form  and  Order  of  Coronation  of  the  Kings  and  Queens  of 
Great  Britain  and  Ireland,  in  the  Abbey  Church  of  St.  Peter,  West- 
minster. 


Proofs  of  the  divine  power  of  the  Bible  at  the  hour    115 
of  Death. 

whicli  is  in  Christ  Jesus ;  to  whom  be  glory  for  ever. 
Amen." 

Again  look  around.  We  are  assembled  here  to-day 
on  the  eve  of  a  funeral — the  funeral  of  the  venerated 
Mother  of  our  beloved  Queen.  Meditations  on  royal 
deaths,  and  on  royal  funerals,  find  a  proper  place 
here.  For  here  Kings  and  Queens  rest  in  their 
graves.  Here  Princes  and  Nobles  sleep  in  the  dust. 
Here  lie  Statesmen  and  Orators,  Legislators  and 
Judges,  Philosophers,  Poets,  and  Historians,  Captains 
and  Conquerors. 

Now  consider  this. 

At  their  last  hour,  when  the  shadows  of  death 
were  falling  upon  them,  when  the  heart  was  beating 
feebly  and  faintly,  and  the  hand  could  hardly  prop 
the  drooping  head,  when  the  eyes  were  beginning  to 
be  bedimmed  with  the  cloud  and  mist  of  mortality, 
where,  then,  was  their  stay  and  support  ?  At 
that  awful  hour,  did  the  Sovereign  find  any  solid 
comfort  in  meditating  on  the  vast  extent  of  his 
dominions,  or  on  the  long  duration  of  his  reign? 
Did  the  Princes  and  Nobles,  who  here  lie  buried, 
derive  any  genuine  consolation  from  the  splendour 
of  their  stately  mansions,  or  the  beauty  of  their  wide 
demesnes,  or  from  their  patrician  badges  and  titles, 
and  the  long  line  of  their  ancestral  dignities  ?  No  : 
at  that  solemn  hour,  all  these  were  vanishing  like 
a  dream.  Did  the  Statesman  obtain  any  comfortable 
assurance  from  his  political  sagacity,  or  the  Orator 
from  his  brilliant  eloquence  ?  No  :  these  things  were 


116  Proofs  of  the  divine  power  of  the  Bible,  as  contrasted 
with  all  human  aids, 

like  fading  flowers.  Did  the  Legislator  or  the  Judge 
find  any  assistance  in  their  Codes  and  Law  Books  ? 
No :  they  themselves  were  summoned  to  Judgment. 
Could  the  Philosopher  solace  himself  with  musing  on 
his  Problems  and  Theories,  or  the  Poet  with  the 
remembrance  of  his  songs  ?  No :  these  were  like  a 
tale  that  is  told 6.  Could  the  Historian  procure  peace 
for  his  soul  from  his  records  of  past  ages  ?  No  :  he 
himself  was  passing  away.  Could  the  seafaring 
Captain  obtain  a  spiritual  calm  from  his  long  voyages 
to  distant  climes  ?  No :  he  must  now  take  another 
voyage  to  an  unexplored  region,  where  no  earthly 
chart  or  compass  would  guide  him.  He  must  now  set 
sail  for  Eternity.  Did  the  General  or  Admiral, — 
the  heroes"  of  many  battles, — gather  hope  and  joy  for 
themselves  from  their  laurels  gained  in  the  conflicts 
of  war  ?  No  :  they  must  prepare  now  for  a  sharper 
struggle  with  Spiritual  Powers,  against  which  the 
Artillery  of  this  World  would  be  of  no  avail.  But, 
had  they,  then,  no  comfort  in  that  hour  of  Death  ? 
Miserable,  miserable  indeed,  if  such  was  then  the 
case.  Had  they  no  comfort?  And  if  they  had, 
where  was  it  ?  It  was  in  the  Bible.  If  they  had 
believed  its  doctrines,  and  had  obeyed  its  precepts, 
and  if  they  had  trusted  in  its  promises,  if  they  had 
lived  and  fed  on  it  as  living  bread  from  heaven,  then 
there  was  hope  in  their  end.  Then  there  was  peace 
in  their  death,  through  the  might  and  mercy  of  Him 
who  died  for  them,  and  was  buried,  and  over- 
6  PS.  xc.  9. 


at  the  hour  of  Death,  and  in  the  prospect  of  Eternity .  117 

came,  and  rose  again,  and  opened  the  kingdom 
of  heaven  to  all  believers.  Then,  though  they 
walked  through  the  valley  and  shadow  of  death,  they 
feared  no  evil,  for  He  was  with  them7.  Then  they 
fell  asleep  in  peace,  and  in  hope  to  awake  with 
joy.  Then  Death  to  them  was  Birth, — Birth  to 
endless  life.  Then  they  felt,  in  their  inmost  hearts, 
that  belief  in  the  Inspiration  of  the  Bible — a  belief 
based  on  the  soundest  reason — is  able  to  speak  com- 
fort to  the  soul.  Then  they  realized  its  power. 
Then  it  proved  its  virtue.  Then  they  knew  that 
whatsoever  had  been  written  aforetime  had  been  written 
for  their  learning,  that  they  through  patience  and 
comfort  of  the  Scriptures  might  have  hope 8.  Then  they 
found,  by  personal  experience,  that  a  few  verses  of 
the  Bible,  heard  with  the  ear  of  faith,  are  of  more 
worth  than  crowns  and  coronets ;  that  they  are  of 
more  value  than  all  the  wealth  and  grandeur,  all  the 
mansions  and  estates,  all  the  eloquence  and  wisdom, 
all  the  genius  and  science,  all  the  triumphs  and 
trophies,  of  this  world.  Then  they  drank  a  refresh- 
ing stream  of  heavenly  peace  and  joy  from  such 
blessed  words  as  these,  I  am  the  Resurrection,  and 
the  life,  saith  the  Lord:  he  that  believeth  in  Me, 
though  he  were  dead,  yet  shall  he  live :  and  he  that  liveth 
and  believeth  in  Me  shall  never  die 9.  Verily,  verily,  I 
say  unto  you,  He  that  heareth  My  word,  and  believeth  on 
Him  that  sent  Me,  hath  everlasting  life,  and  shall  not 
come  into  condemnation,  but  is  passed  from  death  unto 

f  Ps.  xxiii.  4.  8  Rom.  xv.  4.  9  John  xi.  25,  26. 


118    The  Day  of  Judgment  will  prove  the  truth  of  the 
Bible. 

life  *.  Then  they  were  able  to  say,  0  Death,  where 
is  thy  sting  ?  0  Grave,  where  is  thy  Victory  ?  Thanks 
be  to  God  who  giveth  us  the  Victory  through  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ*.  Then  there  was  divine  music  for 
them  in  those  heavenly  words,  I  heard  a  voice  from 
heaven,  saying  unto  me,  Write,  Blessed  are  the  dead 
which  die  in  the  Lord :  even  so,  saith  the  Spirit,  for  they 
rest  from  their  labours 3. 

Brethren,  may  this  support  be  yours,  in  your  last 
hour !  It  will  be  yours,  be  sure,  if  you  live  and  die 
in  the -belief,  that  all  Scripture  is  given  by  inspiration 
of  God.  And  hereafter,  at  the  great  and  dreadful 
Day,  when  the  Elements  shall  melt  with  fervent  heat 4, 
and  when  the  Volume  of  this  visible  Creation  will  no 
more  be  legible ;  when  all  the  fair  characters  now 
written  in  earth  and  sky  upon  the  pages  of  the 
Book  of  Nature,  will  be  effaced  and  obliterated,  and 
the  heavens  themselves  will  depart  as  a  scroll 5, — then 
the  Word  of  Gfod  will  remain  unchanged ;  its  letters 
will  be  indelible,  they  will  endure  for  ever 6.  Heaven 
and  earth  shall  pass  away,  says  Christ,  but  My  Words 
shall  not  pass  away 7.  Blessed,  therefore,  is  he  that 
heareth  and  keepeth  the  sayings  of  that  Book 8,  blessed 
indeed  is  he — blessed  for  evermore  ! 

1  John  v.  24.  2  1  Cor.  xv.  55. 

3  Rev.  xiv.  13.  4  2  Pet.  iii.  JO. 

5  Isa.  xxxiv.  4.     Rev.  vi.  14.  6  1  Pet.  i.  25. 

7  Matt.  xxiv.  35.  8  Rev.  i.  3 ;  xxii.  7. 

THE   END. 

GILBERT  AND  RIVINGTON,  PRINTERS,  ST.  JOHN*S  SQUARE,  LONDON. 


LATELY  PUBLISHED, 
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